Back to the Beginning
by shizuka-kage
Summary: 4 young girls who are pulled into the book. Their coming and one more little incident resets the story and brings back all the warriors of all four gods! UPDATE!: Ch. 43!
1. CHARACTER PAGE not essential to story

Greetings! The Thanksgiving holidays are over! I hope ya'll had a good one. I have had a request from RenaeAurora to go over the characters again. I've decided to take this opportunity to create an entire charie page. Unfortunately, I've not been able to gather all of the info concerning Byakko and Genbu. Send me anything new!

Sorry I can't tell you _everything_ about the priestesses but that would ruin the story!

Aya Namahira:

She is 5'8" with reddish-blonde curls that fall to her waist. Her eyes are intense blue eyes. Her parents are both from Ireland and moved to Japan before Aya was born. At 17 she's an only child and likes it that way. She likes reading and anything outdoors. Kinda a tomboy but doesn't mind dressing up as long as it's not actually a dress or skirt. Her b'day is March 13. She's pretty aggressive in nature as you may have guessed from the story so far. She prefers to face problems head on. Horrible temper but it takes awhile to stir her up and even longer to calm her down. She's extremely protective of friends. There are two views that she holds about people: she hates you or she loves you. There's really no in between. She can be kinda judgemental at times. And once her mind is made up…Lord help you either way. She's kinda loud and boisterous but is extremely shy upon first meetings. Hates showing any true emotion. She puts up this front of being an airhead and just another dumb blonde (tho she is extremely irresponsible). But just because she's laughing on the outside doesn't mean she's doing the same on the inside.

Mieri Taki:

She's only 5'3" with super curly/frizzy brown hair that reaches her shoulders. Her eyes are blue like Aya's but more of a clear kinda blue. Her parents are from England and likewise moved to Japan before she was born. She's 17 but has 2 older brothers, an older sister, one neice, and her mother. She likes to write and can play the piano at her mother's insistence. Her b'day is Jan. 18. She's a very down to earth sort of girl. She has really strong morals that she won't budge for anyone not even Aya. She seems really quiet upon 1st inspection, but is actually really outgoing with her friends. While Aya is the one to think up crazy ideas, Mieri is the one to plan them out in a sensible manner. She's the one to ask herself and everyone else if what they're doing is right. She also has a fierce temper but it takes her even longer than Aya to heat up.

Rika Morimoto:

She's the same height as Aya with straight brown hair that falls a little past her shoulders and brown eyes. She's from Tokyo and is 16. Her b'day is Jan. 24. Her family consists of her mom, dad, and younger sister. She likes to draw and talk on the phone as well as get online. She is much wilder than Mieri and enjoys playing pranks and pulling crazy schemes with Aya. These two are the ones that skip school cuz they wanna go shopping. She appears even quieter however than Mieri. Her temperament is really calm. She generally likes most people and has an optimistic view of life and the people in it. She's a real smart kid and the others look to her for technical advice or just plain random info. She's really nice to her little sister most of the time and almost never argues with her. She heats up fast and cools down just as quickly most of the time. But no matter her anger, you'll never see it on her face.

Yuko Mikage:

She's 5'5" and has dirty blonde hair that is about the same length as Rika's with blue eyes. She is also from Tokyo and is 17. Her b'day is July 6. Her family is her mom, dad, and one younger sister. She enjoys many things such as singing, listening to music, and beating people up. If there was a wild child in the group, it would be Yuko. She helps Aya plan crazy ideas and often does stuff on her own that the others find a little shocking. She's had a rough home life and it shows in her caustic bitchy attitude. She's even worse than Aya! If it's bad, Yuko's done it. Her temper's fierce and can ignite over the stupidest of things. But she cools off fast and is a really good friend to those who understand her. She's really loyal and not much you say or do can shake her faith. She'll get mad then forgive you. She's the only one among the four that's a tad destructive as far as herself is concerned. But don't get the wrong idea, cause she's really nice most of the time and is a guaranteed good time.

So there you have it. These are the new ones. A lot of people say that my characters are too much alike that they don't have their own personalities. But the truth is that these four girls are based on real people: me and my friends. The info is solely ours. And we're best friends so of course we start to think a lot alike and act a lot alike. We've been together for a long time. This was not to dis anyone. I just thought you'd like to know the reason behind this phenomenon. And a surprise to the person who first guesses which one is me! The rest of this is on the seishi and what little info I could gather.

**Name**: Tamahome (Sou Kishuku)

**Age**: 19

**Birthdate**: June 28

**Height**: 5'9"

**Birthplace**: Hakko Village, Juso prefecture in Konan Empire

**Family**: Father, younger brothers (Chuei & Shunkei), and younger sisters (Gyokuran & Yuiren)

**Hobbies**: Making money

**Abilities**: Martial arts in general

**Physical**: Dark black hair; dark blue eyes

**Character Symbol: **Ogre

**Character Location:** Middle of forehead

**Name**: Hotohori (Saihitei, Emperor of Konan Empire)

**Age**: 20

**Birthdate**: April 2

**Height**: 6'

**Birthplace**: Eiyo, Capital of Konan Empire

**Family**: 2 older brothers, 1 younger brother, and 2 younger sisters (all from different mothers)

**Hobbies**: Reading and fashion

**Abilities**: Fencing (received expert training as a child)

**Physical**: Long (to hips) sable hair; green eyes

**Character Symbol: **Sea serpent

**Character Location: **Left side of neck

**Name**: Nuriko (Cho Ryuen)

**Age**: 20

**Birthdate**: March 10

**Height**: 5'5"

**Birthplace**: Eiyo, Capital of Konan Empire

**Family**: Father, mother, 1 older brother, 1 younger sister (Korin)

**Hobbies**: Dressing like a woman and fashion

**Abilities**: Super human strength

**Physical**: Long (to waist) light brown hair; violet eyes

**Character Symbol:**

**Character Location:** Just below left collarbone

**Name**: Chichiri (Li Hyoujin)

**Age**: 20

**Birthdate**: May 21

**Height**: 5'8"

**Birthplace**: Unknown

**Family**: Unknown

**Hobbies**: Fishing

**Abilities**: Magician, includes freezing opponents, instantaneous mobility, etc.

**Physical**: Blue hair; golden eyes

**Character Symbol:**

**Character Location:** Left knee

**Name**: Tasuki (Kou Shun'u/Genro)

**Age**: 19

**Birthdate**: April 18

**Height**: 5'9"

**Birthplace**: Foot of Reikaku Mt. in Koshu Taito province of Konan Empire

**Family**: Father, mother, 5 older sisters

**Hobbies**: Fighting

**Abilities**: Martial arts, fast footed, generates fire blast (Rekka Shinen) from iron fan

**Physical**: Orange hair; golden eyes

**Character Symbol:** Wings

**Character Location:** Right wrist

**Name**: Mitsukake (Myojuan)

**Age**: 22

**Birthdate**: May 7

**Height**: 6'5"

**Birthplace**: A manor near Choko of Northern part of Konan Empire

**Family**: Alone all his life, his late girlfriend Shoka was a daughter of a lord of the manor

**Hobbies**: Taking care of animals

**Abilities**: Healing powers

**Physical**: Deep brown hair; brown eyes

**Character Symbol:**

**Character Location:** Left palm

**Name**: Chiriko (Ou Dokun)

**Age**: 15

**Birthdate**: March 19

**Height**: 5'3"

**Birthplace**: Jozen City of west part of Konan Empire

**Family**: An aged mother and older brother

**Hobbies**: Reading and researching

**Abilities**: Exceptionally high intelligence

**Physical**: Auburn hair; blue eyes

**Character Symbol:**

**Character Location:** Over arch on top of right foot

**Name**: Amiboshi

**Age**: 17

**Birthdate**: August 26

**Height**: 5'10"

**Birthplace**: Tenro, San'um Province in the Kutou Empire

**Family**: Parents died in a war, and has younger twin brother, Suboshi

**Hobbies**: Composing

**Abilities**: Can control his life energy and attack others by focusing through his flute

**Physical**: Dirty blonde hair; green eyes

**Character Symbol:**

**Character Location:** Right arm just above shoulder

**Name**: Suboshi

**Age**: 17

**Birthdate**: August 26

**Height**: 5'10"

**Birthplace**: Tenro, San'um Province in the Kutou Empire

**Family**: Parents died in a war, and has older twin brother, Amiboshi

**Hobbies**: Exercising

**Abilities**: Controls his "Ryuseisui" by psycho kinesis

**Physical**: Dirty blonde hair; green eyes

**Character Symbol:**

**Character Location:** Left arm just below shoulder

**Name**: Ashitare

**Age**: 36

**Birthdate**: November 21

**Height**: 7'

**Birthplace**: Penal settlement in the Northern Hokkan Empire

**Family**: None (orphan)

**Hobbies**: Eating human flesh (cannibalism)

**Abilities**: Can change into a wolf (werewolf)

**Physical**: Brown hair; brown eyes; extremely hairy body

**Character Symbol:** Tail

**Character Location:** Right hip

**Name**: Tomo

**Age**: 21

**Birthdate**: October 13

**Height**: 6'

**Birthplace**: Unknown

**Family**: Unknown

**Hobbies**: Threatening and picking on others; homosexual

**Abilities**: Can create hallucinations and watch illusions by using the "shin" (clamshell)

**Physical**: Long (to waist) dark brown hair; dark blue eyes

**Character Symbol:**

**Character Location:** Right lower abdomen

**Name**: Miboshi

**Age**: Unknown

**Birthdate**: Unknown

**Height**: Unknown

**Birthplace**: Unknown

**Family**: Unknown

**Hobbies**: To manipulate others at will

**Abilities**: Is able to enter other people's bodies and control them at will

**Physical**: Unknown

**Character Symbol:**

**Character Location:** Back of neck

**Name**: Soi

**Age**: 21

**Birthdate**: October 30

**Height**: 5'6"

**Birthplace**: Genson of the Nei Tribe, a satellite state of Kutou

**Family**: Sold to a brothel by parents when she was a child

**Hobbies**: Using makeup

**Abilities**: Can control lighting and electro magnetism in the air, sexual techniques

**Physical**: Long (to lower back) brown hair; brown eyes

**Character Symbol:**

**Character Location:** Left thigh, over quad muscle

**Name**: Nakago

**Age**: 22

**Birthdate**: November 17

**Height**: 6'3"

**Birthplace**: In the West, of the Hin Tribe

**Family**: None

**Hobbies**: Threatening and picking on Tamahome

**Abilities**: Can control life energy and uses psycho kinesis

**Physical**: Medium (to shoulder) blonde hair; blue eyes

**Character Symbol:**

**Character Location:** Middle of forehead

**Name**: Tokaki (Hahm Lan-uan)

**Age**: 19

**Birthdate**: November 11

**Height**: 6'

**Birthplace**: ????

**Family**: Wife Subaru

**Hobbies**: Picking up on women

**Abilities**: Knowledge of pressure points, teleportation, skilled martial artist, and use of earrings as weapons

**Physical**: Long (to mid-back) white hair; golden-brown eyes

**Character Symbol: **Stride

**Character Location: **Left cheek

**Name**: Subaru (Hahm Dorin)

**Age**: 17

**Birthdate**: May 1

**Height**: 5'4"

**Birthplace**: ????

**Family**: Husband Tokaki

**Hobbies**: Cooking and shopping

**Abilities**: Can freely manipulate the "time" of a person

**Physical**: Long (to lower back) white hair; grey eyes (large breasts)

**Character Symbol: **Rise

**Character Location: **Left breast

**Name**: Tatara

**Age**: 20

**Birthdate**: March 21

**Height**: 5'11"

**Birthplace**: ????

**Family**:????

**Hobbies**: Gardening

**Abilities**: Controls plants

**Physical**: Long (to mid-back) brown hair; blue eyes

**Character Symbol: **Lasso

**Character Location: **Back of right hand

**Name**: Kokie (Chi-Yuen) male

**Age**:

**Birthdate**:

**Height**:

**Birthplace**:

**Family**:

**Hobbies**:

**Abilities**: Manipulator of shadows

**Physical**:

**Character Symbol: **Stomach

**Character Location: **

**Name**: Amefuri (Aran) female

**Age**:

**Birthdate**:

**Height**:

**Birthplace:**

**Family**: Mother

**Hobbies**:

**Abilities**: Shapeshift into white tiger and any combo of human and tiger

**Physical**:

**Character Symbol: **Rain net

**Character Location:**

**Name**: Karasuki (Shen-chi) male

**Age**: 18

**Birthdate**:

**Height**:

**Birthplace**:

**Family**:

**Hobbies**:

**Abilities**: Can convert energy (chi; lighting; etc.) into matter (weapons)

**Physical**:

**Character Symbol: **Investigator

**Character Location: **

**Name**: Toroki (Taisuke) male

**Age**:

**Birthdate**:

**Height**:

**Birthplace**:

**Family**:

**Hobbies:**

**Abilities**: Psychic/telepath; generates psychic attacks in the form of illusions; reads incomplete history from strong emotional impressions left behind

**Physical**:

**Character Symbol: **Turtle snout

**Character Location: **

**Name**: Hikitsu (Chen Emtato) male

**Age**: 21

**Birthdate**: February 14

**Height**: 6'

**Birthplace**: Western Hokkan, an ethnic minority known as the "Kan" tribe

**Family**: Father, mother, younger brother (Temujin)

**Hobbies**: Long-distance horseback riding

**Abilities**: Controls ice, combat sense (senses when someone is about to attack), lends chi to mount to give it magically enhanced speed and endurance

**Physical**: Long (to lower back) extremely light brown hair; grey eyes

**Character Symbol: **Ladle

**Character Location: **On right eye (wears patch to cover it)

**Name**: Tomite (Tan Chamka) male

**Age**: 16

**Birthdate**: March 19

**Height**: 5'8"

**Birthplace**: Western Hokkan, an ethnic minority known as the "Ha" tribe

**Family**: Uncle, older sister (Setsuka), older brother & parents dead

**Hobbies**: Hunting

**Abilities**: Controls ice, chi-ring (squeezes 2 death/chops n ½), archery, telekinetics: archery & ice

**Physical**: Brown hair; brown eyes

**Character Symbol:** Emptiness

**Character Location: **Left side of back

**Name**: Inami (Dugureng Zaan) male

**Age**: 17

**Birthdate**: January 13

**Height**: 165 cm

**Birthplace**: Central Hokkan

**Family**: Mother, father, 2 older sisters, 2 older brothers, 2 younger brothers

**Hobbies**: Hiking

**Abilities**: Berserker, accelerated healing, inexhaustible chi

**Physical**: Brown hair, green eyes

**Character Symbol: **Ox

**Character Location:** Right buttock

**Name**: Uruki (Bai-Ling Soo) both??

**Age**: 15 (appears 12)

**Birthdate**: January 25

**Height**: 150 cm

**Birthplace**: Town of Tsataan in Eastern Hokkan along the Kutou border

**Family**: Mother & father

**Hobbies**: Weaving, sewing

**Abilities**: Controls the wind and turns into a woman when character appears

**Physical**: Long silver hair that she wears up; sky blue eyes

**Character Symbol:** Female

**Character Location: **Throat

**Name**: Urumiya (Baldan) male

**Age**: Unknown (assumed to be 20)

**Birthdate**: Unknown

**Height**: 165 cm

**Birthplace**: Grew up on the streets of Tolan

**Family**: Unknown

**Hobbies**: Gambling, women, drinking

**Abilities**: Precognition (danger-sense; foretelling), water magic seishi powers disappear when drunk

**Physical**:

**Character Symbol: **Danger/Roof

**Character Location: **Forehead

**Name**: Hatsui (Shi-Hsiu NO LAST NAME) male

**Age**: 21

**Birthdate**: Unknown

**Height**: 175 cm

**Birthplace**: Was raised by monks of the Hai monastery, then sent to Mt. Taikyoku to finish his studies

**Family**: Unknown

**Hobbies**: Reading, meditation

**Abilities**: Priestly Magic (Charms and Wards), Scrying Magic, and Sacrificial Magic Wards and Charms must be written in own blood

**Physical**:

**Character Symbol: **Encampment

**Character Location: **Right abdomen

**Name**: Namane (Temur Bataar) male

**Age**: 19

**Birthdate**: June 15

**Height**: 176 cm

**Birthplace**: Southeastern Hokkan, near the Kutou border

**Family**: Father, mother, 20 ½ brothers and sisters (middle son, 13th child)

**Hobbies**: Dressing up, collecting/playing kourin moors (musical instrument)

**Abilities**: Protective armor, magic sword

**Physical**: Long (mid-back) blue hair wears it back like hotohori; violet eyes

**Character Symbol: **Wall

**Character Location:** Center of back


	2. Friends

Aya and her best friend Mieri giggled excitedly as the plane took off. They were on their way to Tokyo. Being from a small farming village in Japan, this was a pretty big trip for them. "I can't believe it!" Aya squealed. "Our parents actually let us go by ourselves!"

"We are seventeen now, "Mieri reminded her. "We're big enough to find our way to Aunt Sanyo's house. It's not like she won't be waiting for us at the airport."

"Still," Aya insisted. "We are on a plane, by ourselves. I think we're making progress."

"Maybe so," Mieri laughed.

"How long till we get there?"

"Are you _still_ scared of heights?" Mieri asked in wonder. "I thought we told you that there was nothing to flying."

"It's not the flying that scares me. It's the crashing and burning parts!" Aya squeezed her eyes shut as they hit some turbulence.

"You are such a baby!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Well, you're scared of bugs and stuff!" Aya countered.

"So? _You're_ scared of granddaddy-long-legs!"

"Those things are nasty!" Aya shuddered. "They're so...so...nasty!"

"Really?" Mieri smirked.

The banter continued as the plane flew towards the biggest city in Japan. The girls were too busy talking and laughing to be bored, and the other passengers studied the two young teenagers for a time.

Though they had lived in Japan all of their lives, neither was truly Japanese. Both of their families had moved to their home village of before they were born. Aya was actually Irish. She had reddish-blonde curls that fell to her waist and icy blue eyes that could shine with warmth or flash in anger. She had definitely inherited the Irish temper.

Mieri, on the other hand, was quieter in nature. She had short brown hair that was _super_ curly. It sometimes went "poof!" as she liked to say. This was the bane of her otherwise pleasant life. Her eyes were a clear kind of blue that was quite appealing. Her family originally came from England, and her parents still talked with a lilting accent as Aya's parents talked in a thick brogue.

"Look! I think we're here!" Aya leaned towards the window for the first time. She quickly realized her mistake and sank back into the seat.

"Yeah, you're right. There goes the 'buckle up' sign. Have youâ" Mieri glanced at Aya and stopped. "Never mind. I guess you never _un_buckled." Aya didn't answer. She just braced herself for the landing they were about to make.

Throughout the whole ordeal, there was a lot of hand-squeezing and even more whimpering, but both Aya and Mieri made it out OK.

"I think you broke my hand," Mieri shook her hand vigorously and twitched a few fingers for analysis.

"Oh, shut-up! It's not like you never needed comfort."

"Yeah, but I didn't take off someone's arm getting it!" Mieri smiled, and Aya couldn't help but smile back.

"You'll get me back at some point, I'm sure."

"You're right. I will."

"So what now?"

Mieri looked around. "I guess we wait for Aunt Sanyo to show up."

"What if she doesn't like us? Or is really mean?" Aya giggled. "We must show lots of respect, you know. Can't have her thinking bad about her foreign niece and friend."

"Whatever! She won't be mean! She's the best aunt in the world!"

"Still. You neverâOof!" Aya fell to the ground when a young girl practically ran her over.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" the girl spoke in the native tongue of Japan, Japanese. This was fine since both Aya and Mieri had grown up speaking the language. "Are you okay?"

Aya rubbed her butt. "It's okay. I'm fine."

Mieri snorted. "Yeah. She landed on her personal airbag."

Aya glared. "Shut-up."

The girl laughed. "I see you two are old friends!"

"You could say that," Mieri grinned. "We've only known each other since kindergarten."

"That is a long time. My name is Miaka."

"I'm Mieri, and this dumb blonde is Aya," Mieri pointed to first herself and then Aya.

The girl paused and studied them. "Have you any Chinese books? Any at all?"

"No," Aya was confused by the sudden change of topic. "I only speak a few words of Chinese. Japanese and a bit of English are all I know. Oh! And Celtic, of course."

"Oh," the girl was thoughtful. "I think that you shall go there soon," she stared at Aya. "It is good that you are so good natured. You will need every bit of it for _your_ journey." She turned to Mieri. To their surprise, her eyes filled with tears. "Take good care of them please. I did not. There are so few left. Only three..." she faltered. "But maybe you shall change that. It won't be the first time something like this has happened."

"What are you talking about?" Aya questioned. "Who do you think we are?"

"No one. Not yet. Enjoy your story. For your sakes, I hope it ends well," the girl turned and ran. In the crowded terminal, this was pretty hard to do.

"Hey, wait!" Mieri cried out. "What were you talking about?"

Aya stooped down and picked up a book. "I guess she dropped this. It's got some weird symbols on it. Do you think they're Chinese? Was this what she meant by Chinese books? "

"Probably. It's definitely not Japanese. It's gotta be Chinese."

"Cool. I guess we do have a Chinese book now."

"Yeah, well, we'd better find my aunt. Have you been holding up the sign?"

Aya looked down at the sign which was by her side and lifted it into the air. "Of course! What kind of idiot wouldn't be holding up the sign?" a big grin forced its way to the surface.

"Your kind," Mieri muttered.

A few seconds later a hunched over old woman scurried over. "Mieri? Aya?"

Aya leaned toward Mieri and whispered in her ear, "Your _aunt_?"

Mieri whispered back, "So she's a great-aunt. They're the same thing."

"What's that?" Aunt Sanyo put her hand to her ear. "Speak up now! What did you say?"

"I said hello, Aunt Sanyo," Mieri talked slow and loud.

Aunt Sanyo gave her a look. "Well, there's no need to yell. I'm not deaf, you know."

Aya rolled her eyes, and Mieri nodded in agreement. This was going to be a long stay. "Should I call her Aunt Sanyo or Sanyo-san? Or maybe Taki-san? That is her last name, right?" Aya fretted to Mieri all the way to the car.

"Would you relax?!" Mieri finally said. "Just ask her what she wants you to call her! It's really no big deal. I see her every year for our family reunion, and she hasn't eaten me yet!"

"Oh, haha, Mieri. That's so funny. It's all fine for _you_. You're her family. But what about me? I'm just her great-niece's friend! I'm subject to disapproval!"

"Please. Do us all a favor. Shut-up!" Mieri waved her hands.

"Fine," Aya pouted. "But I'm warning you, if I get in trouble, I'm blaming it on you!"

"Agreed."

"Here is my car," Aunt Sanyo stopped at a nice little red car.

"Wow! I thought we'd be walking for a bit!" Aya smiled happily. "We don't have too many cars in our village. Most people just have bicycles."

"Throw your luggage in back here," Aunt Sanyo pointed to the trunk.

"Can we keep our backpacks with us?" Mieri asked. "It has an extra change of clothes."

Aya murmured under breath, "Not to mention snacks, CD's and CD players, game boys, magazines, our cell phones..."

"That's fine with me," Aunt Sanyo shrugged.

"Thanks!" Mieri and Aya jumped in the back. "Are we going to your house?"

"No. I have some shopping to do," Aunt Sanyo paused. "You probably don't want to do that, but I think I know just the place to leave you."

"At your house?" Mieri asked hopefully.

"Correct! I'm dropping you off. I'll probably be back in a few hours."

"That's fine," Aya winked. "Thank you."

"Buckle up. We have one stop first. I need to go by the news corner to pick up today's edition. I don't go anywhere without looking for some coupons first."

"That's okay. Go wherever you'd like," Mieri smiled.

"Then we're off!" Aunt Sanyo _stomped_ on the accelerator. They took off into traffic. Both girls were thrown violently into first the back, then the front, and finally the back seat again.

"Ah!" Aya held on to the seat with one hand. With the other, she tried to buckle up. "This is worse than flying!"

"Shut-up and hold on!" Mieri squealed as they rounded another corner. On the way to their destination, they almost hit seven people, ten cars, two poles, and five animals. All in all, it was a traumatic experience for them.

"Why...didn't you warn me...that your aunt...was crazy?!" Aya gasped as she scrambled out of the car.

"I...didn't know...myself!" Mieri replied.

"Here we are, girls," Aunt Sanyo stepped out of the car. "This is my favorite news corner. The little boy here is so nice. Why don't you wait for me down by the candy store? You can both get a soda or something."

"Sure. That'd be great!" Mieri motioned for Aya to come and hurried off. They both bought soft drinks. Aya a Coke and Mieri a Dr. Pepper.

"When do you think she'll get back?" Aya asked after a few minutes.

"I don't know. How long does it take to buy a newspaper in Tokyo? Is there a line or something?"

"Yea!" Aya jumped up and down. "You've just reminded me that we're actually in Tokyo!"

"Yeah, yeah. But what about Aunt Sanyo? Think we'll hear her coming?"

"Sure," Aya smiled grimly. "Just listen for chilling screams and squealing tires. I for one don't know how she doesn't get arrested on a daily basis."

"Don't look at me," Mieri waved her hands. "I've never ridden with her before."

The squeal of rubber tires on the road caught both girls' attention. "Oh, boy," Aya breathed.

"Here she comes..."

A little red car turned on a dime around the street corner. It flew closer to the girls. At the last minute, the car jumped the curve heading straight for them! Mieri grabbed Aya's arm and flung herself to the side. Landing on the hard concrete was not a pleasant experience for either. The passenger door opened on the front seat. "Did I park close enough? Didn't want you to have to walk too far."

"I-I..." Aya was at a loss for words.

"Yes, Aunt Sanyo. Thank you, but next time we'll come to you, okay?"

"Sure, sure. Whatever. Come on, girls. I need to get going!"

"Yes, ma'am," Aya cautiously stepped back into the vehicle. This time both were prepared for the horrendous ride. But they did finally arrive at the house.

"See you girls later tonight!" Aunt Sanyo waved goodbye as she burst back onto the road.

"Do you think we could convince her to let us drive next time?" Aya asked.

"Not a chance."

"Oh. Okay. It was worth a shot," Aya sighed. "Wow! This is a really nice house."

"Yeah, I haven't ever visited it before. Come on! Let's see if we can figure out what this crazy book says!"


	3. The Translation

Hi! Sorry it took so long! Grounding and school work and computer problems have all been plotting against me! ::sigh:: And it's still a short one. Well, lucky for you people I was a writer long before I knew about this sight so technically this is the end of my chapter one and I have...six chapters? Yes. That's it. So to make up for it being so short and taking so long I'm adding three at one time. Don't feel like reading that much? Tough. Besides it's not going anywhere. Come back later. Oh! And before I forget thanks to all of you who reviewed for me! It really cheered me up! Oh well enough stalling. Bye!

"Oh, goodie!" Aya clapped her hands. "A puzzle!"

"You..." Mieri shook her head, "...are such a ditz."

Aya just grinned. "That's why you love me so much!"

"True, true. But how are we going to figure out what it says? I don't read a lick of Chinese."

"Oh, and like I do?" Aya perked up. "Hey! You know our pen pals?"

"The ones in the States?"

"Yeah. Rika and Yuko?"

"Yeah! They're studying in the States for awhile, remember?" Aya prompted.

"So?"

"So...they're also taking Chinese as a second language, aren't they?!"

"Oh, yeah!" Mieri brightened. "They could probably help us to translate it!"

"Right!" Aya smiled happily. "I'm such a genius, huh?"

"Whatever. Even the desert will sometimes get rain."

Aya glared at her friend. "You're so pessimistic."

"Come on! Let's go up to our room and e-mail them! We can scan the copies of the book into the computer."

"That'll take so long, though!" Aya complained.

"Would you rather take the time to either find someone who can read Chinese or learn it ourselves?" Mieri asked.

"No..."

"Then shut your trap and come on!"

"Oh, fine! You're so bossy sometimes!"

Mieri laughed. "Well, I'm nothing like you in a pissy mood! Meow!"

Aya blushed. "I can't help it. I have a temper. You do too, you know."

"I know. But it's a whole lot more fun teasing you about it!" Mieri started singing the tune of "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" using slightly different lyrics, "It's the most wonderful time of the month! There is screaming and bitching and lots of name calling for most of the week! It's the most wonderful time of the month!"

"That is _not_ funny!" Aya squealed. "Curse Akira for ever thinking of that horrible attempt at humor!"

"Oh, he was right! You are unbearable when you're in a bad mood!" The girls raced into the house.

"Where to now?" Aya asked.

"Up the stairs if I recall correctly," Mieri started up.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Aya hurried after her.

"Wait!" Mieri's voice called from one of the rooms. "You passed it!"

Aya backtracked to find Mieri in the middle of a huge room. There were two beds, one on each side of the room. On a desk in the corner was a laptop computer. Mieri was already online and talking to their friends. "Cool. So are they online?"

"That's not even the right question, girl; and you know it. The correct question would be 'Are they _not_ online!'"

Aya laughed. "I think you're right. So I take it they're on?"

"Of course. They're really excited about it. Or at least Rika is. She says she'll show her translation to her teacher to check to see if it's correct."

Aya rolled her eyes. "She's such a dork. What does Yuko say?"

Mieri typed in something and waited a moment. "Ha! She says that we're all losers and need to get social lives."

"Lovely!" Aya laughed. "Tell her that living in the States must have scrambled her brains. We have plenty of 'social' in our lives!"

Mieri faithfully typed. "Rika says to shut-up and start scanning."

"Typical," Aya sighed. "Well, let me see..." Aya grappled with the scanner next to the computer. "How does this thing work anyways?"

"Obviously not a computer genius..." Mieri quickly straightened her out and started the pages to scanning.

"Who needs brains with looks like these?" Aya tossed her long hair over her shoulder.

Mieri shook her head sadly. "I feel very sorry for you. But even more so for your parents and myself. We have to put up with you."

Aya stuck out her tongue. "Is that thing done yet?"

"Mieri stared at the screen for a moment. "Yeah. Rika says she's translating it now. Her host parents have a translator installed on her computer, so it shouldn't take more than a few minutes."

"Good!" Aya sighed melodramatically. "I don't think I could stand the tension!"

"You are such a drama queen," Mieri laughed.

"Whatever. Is she done yet?"

"No, not yet. Oh, and Yuko wants to ask you if you still have that necklace she gave you," Mieri reached under her shirt and produced a slim silver chain. In Japanese kanji hung the word 'friends'. Yuko had seen them in a souvenir shop in the States. She had thought of Rika, Mieri, and Aya immediately and had purchased one for each of the four of them.

"Tell her to quit bugging me!" Aya complained as she pointed to her necklace. "Yes, I have it on! Ask her if she does."

Mieri typed for a few seconds before telling Aya, "Yeah. They both have theirs. Yuko says that if we don't wear it every day, she's gonna come home and beat us up."

Aya squealed in mock horror. "Oh, no!" She paused for a minute and laughed. "Actually, I guess I should be rather scared! She just might do it!"

Mieri laughed with her. She glanced at the computer. "Hey! Rika says her translator's done. Well, the first page is done anyway."

"Well, read it! Read it!" Aya crowded in close to follow along as Mieri read.

"Fine! Fine!" Mieri snapped. "Chill out!" Then she proceeded to read the words that appeared on her screen. "'This is the story of a girl who made her dreams come true after she came to possess the seven stars of Suzaku, and many powers were bestowed upon her. The story itself is a spell. The one who reads it through will be given powers and granted a wish like the girl in the story. Because the story begins and becomes real from the moment the first page is turned.'"

"That's weird..." Aya began. Before she could go any farther, a bright red light surrounded her and Mieri. They disappeared from the room, and indeed the very world leaving only an old Chinese book as a clue to their whereabouts.

Across the world in the States, Yuko and Rika also read the first page of the strange story. "What do you think, Yuko?" Rika asked with a laugh. But Yuko was unable to answer. They too were surrounded by a peculiar red light. With a cry, both girls vanished without a trace, leaving behind their comfortable world for a newer and stranger world.


	4. Konan

Aya woke with a feeling of anxiety and a major headache. She groaned and sat up to hold her head. "Ow...what did I do?" She managed to pry her eyes open, but that wasn't much help. It was completely dark wherever she was, and Aya could see nothing. "Great. Just great. I'd be willing to bet that Mieri talked me into doing something stupid. Now if I could only remember what it was..."

A muffled thump brought her back to the present with a start. A barely tangible stirring of whatever she was sitting on convinced Aya that something was alive in here with her. "Oh no," Aya whispered her eyes wide with fright. "I don't need some seriously deranged dog or cat taking my arm off. As much as she loved animals, Aya knew that no healthy, whole animal would be shut up in a room like this. "Good...whatever. Be nice to Aya," she slowly eased into a standing position. So far, there were no further stirrings. Aya took a step back. Then another. She was about to go back even farther, but she bumped into something. _Great. I would have to be stuck in an impossibly _small_ room with a crazed animal. How could my life get anyâ_

The pile in front of her erupted in a flurry of what appeared to be clothing. Aya let out an extremely high-pitched squeal and started to climb up on whatever it was behind her. In the process of getting up there, her hands enclosed on a small wooden object. She chunked it at the form rising from clothes with all of her might. Considering that Aya was very much into sports, this was no laughing matter. Whatever that thing hit was going to be hurt. And it might decide to voice its annoyance.

"OW!" a voice cried out. "What was that for?!"

Aya blinked. _Dogs don't say 'ow'..._ "Rika? Is that you?" Aya peered cautiously forward into the darkness. Despite the problem of distance, the four girls had often exchanged phone calls and sent one another home videos. And this 'crazed animal' sounded a lot like Rika when she'd been ticked off.

"Well, you'd better _pray_ your name isn't Aya because I'm about to kill her!" the muffled voice exclaimed.

"Hehe..." Aya laughed nervously. "Sorry. I thought you were a rabid dog or something."

Rika's head appeared from beneath the clothing. "Did I _sound_ like a rabid dog?"

"No."

"Did I _look_ like a rabid dog?"

"No, I couldn'tâ"

"Did I _feel_ like a dog of any kind?" Rika glared at her with arms crossed. She was just as Aya remembered her. They were the exact same height, so Aya was nose to nose with her pen pal. Her straight brown hair just touched her shoulders and framed her face perfectly. She had soft brown eyes that were normally laughing. Today, however, they flashed in anger.

"I didn'tâ"

"Then _what_ in the world made you think I was a rabid dog?!"

Aya laughed again. "Mieri and I had just finished watching _Cujo_ on the flight in to Tokyo?"

Rika glared again. "That is not a good enough reason for smacking me with a...a...what was that anyway?!"

Aya shrugged. "I don't know. I just threw it."

"You!" Rika threw up her hands. "You are far worse than Yuko ever was!"

"Speaking of which..." Aya looked around. "Where is Yuko? And Mieri? And where are we?"

Rika shrugged. "And how exactly am I supposed to know?"

"I don't know! You're the computer genius! I figure if our computers went haywire and sucked us in, you'd know!"

One eyebrow went slowly up, "Sucked us in?"

"It could happen!"

A pounding sound on the door startled both girls. "Who is in there?! Come out now!"

Aya looked at Rika frantically. "What now?"

"I'm not an encyclopedia here for your convenience!" Rika hissed. She glanced down at her cloud pajamas then at the clothing on the floor. "Here!" she tossed what looked like an odd kimono at Aya. "Put this on! Maybe they'll think we belong here."

Aya snorted as she quickly pulled her outfit on. "And where are we supposed to be? These clothes are like a million years out of style!"

"We must be at some kind of festival," Rika rationalized. Another pounding on the door, louder this time, warned the girls that they'd better hurry.

"Um...we're coming!" Aya called out. The pounding stopped momentarily.

"Who is in there?" a deep male voice asked. He didn't sound happy.

Rika finally struggled in her clothes andâafter making sure Aya was readyâthrew open the door. Five men dressed in the outfits of guards stood glaring at them. And they were all armed with swords. "Hi," Rika smiled nervously. "We're very sorry. We got lost, you see, andâ"

"What are you two doing in there?!" the head guard asked harshly. "You should be at the harem." He sheathed his sword, and the soldiers behind him did likewise. "Come. We shall escort you personally."

"Thank you," Aya smiled up at him. "Um...where are we exactly? We got lost."

The guard raised a brow. "New, huh? Well, right now you're in the palace laundry. It's in the opposite direction of where you should be. The palace harem is in the eastern wing of the palace."

"Uh-huh," Rika looked around as they walked. "So. Is this a part-time gig for you? What do you do during the week?"

The guard looked askance at her. "Part-time? Being a guard in His Majesty's army is very much a full day's work. Don't let our reputation fool you. Most guards are very hard workers."

"Oh," Rika looked down for a moment. "So you do this all week? All year?"

"Of course! My pay is sent home to my family, and I do get leave every now and then."

"Bummer," Aya sympathized. "Don't those costumes itch in summer?"

"Costumes?!" the guard roared with indignation. "These are the finest uniforms we could ask for! Besides..." he actually blushed and looked away. "They are much warmer in winter, I'm sure, than your apparel."

Aya thought to look down at what she had on. Then it was her turn to blush. Their outfits could hardly be pronounced decent apparel much less warm. The necklines were so low as to become dangerous. The material was very thinâwhich perhaps explained her being so cold?âthough they were quite long; touching the ground in fact. She was dressed in a light blue color, while Rika was in a bright yellow. "I see your point. Well, they are certainly nice to look at. Who made yours?"

"The royal seamstresses, of course!" the guard looked sideways at her. "How long did you say you've been here? And where exactly are you from?"

"Um..." Aya looked to Rika, who had been staring into space.

"Not long," Rika temporized. "And I'm from Tokyo. She's from ."

"Where?" the guard looked confused. "I've never heard of those cities in my life!"

Rika gaped at him. "Where are we?! You _must_ have heard of Tokyo! It's the capital!"

The guard frowned at her. "I know very well what the capital is. We're in Eiyo, capital of the Konan Empire."

"The Konan Empire?!" Rika squeaked. "Where the hell is that?!"


	5. Houki's Interest

"Where did that stupid light transport us?!" Aya halted and turned in utter despair to Rika. "I thought it just sent us to another city! I don't even know _where_ the Konan Empire is! Much less how to get home from here!"

"Wait," Rika frowned in concentration. "The Konan Empire? That word came up rather often in that book I was translating for you. And if I remember my Chinese history correctly, it was an empire in the _very_ distant past."

"The past?!" Aya wailed.

"That book!" Rika cried. "It was that book! It said that story became real once you started reading it!"

"WE'RE IN A BOOK?!"

The guard was utterly confused by this time, and several other people were giving them weird looks. "Calm down," Rika commanded. "It's all right. We're gonna get back home just fine."

Aya looked at her in what could only be described as complete frustration. "You do realize that we're not only far from home, we've gone back in _time_! How exactly do you intend for us to get back home?" she asked sarcastically.

Rika wavered. "I don't know, but if we're here that means Yuko and Mieri are here, too, right? So I guess we first have to find them."

"Excuse me," the guard interrupted. "But what are you talking about? I think you need to explain yourselves right now!"

"Um..." Aya looked hesitantly at Rika. "Explain ourselves? Whatever do you mean?" she smiled brightly up at him.

"Yes," Rika added. "We've already told you."

"I think," the guard said in a stern voice, "You need to follow me. And that is not a request."

Aya sighed and looked slightly aggravated. "Very well. But remember that we have places to be."

Rika trembled a bit as both girls turned around and followed the guard in an entirely different direction. "Are we in trouble do you think?" she whispered.

"How am I supposed to know?" Aya shrugged. "I do know that if this guy doesn't let us go, we're going to have to get out of here."

Rika nodded firmly. "I agree. Now the Konan Empire was a vast empire. Depending on where we are in its history, we could be under a tyrant or one of the best emperors this region ever experienced."

"Great," Aya muttered sarcastically. "Well, if he had a harem, I doubt he was a _loyal_ guy."

"All the emperors had harems."

"Oh. So what did their wives say?"

"Nothing, I guess," Rika shrugged. "I don't think they really had a choice."

"Forget that!" Aya snapped. "Let _my_ husband have a harem full of girls! He'd find out what a 'woman scorned' can really do!"

Rika snorted with laughter. "Somehow, Aya, I have absolutely no doubt that _whatever_ emperor you had would be a whipped puppy within a month."

"Of course," Aya grinned evilly. "You just have to know how to handle them."

"We have arrived," the guard turned to them, his face unreadable. "You shall have an audience with the emperor."

"What?!" Aya turned ashen. "You have to be joking!"

"I do not kid when speaking of the emperor," the guard stated.

"Well, let's go then," Rika marched firmly up the steps. "Let's meet your emperor."

The guard led them in the doorway of a substantial building. Everywhere they looked was marble, crystal, gold, and other expensive materials."

"Well, you can rule out the tyrant," Rika hissed in Aya's ear. "He was a very poor man."

"That's a relief," Aya whispered back. They were led up a long hallway. At the end were two enormous wooden doors. Four guards stood guard in front of them.

The guard gave a curt nod to the four standing guard duty. The four junior officers gazed curiously at Aya and Rika. "What have you got there, Captain?" the oldest of the lot asked with a grin. Aya glared holes in him.

"I do not know what I have as of yet," the guard who was a captain replied formally. "It is up to the emperor to decide what I have."

"Oh," the guard looked wide-eyed at them. "What did they do?"

"I believe them to be spies from another kingdom. They spoke of cities that were unknown to me and did not seem to completely recognize our kingdom. They were masquerading as girls from the emperor's harem."

"I congratulate you, Captain, on ferreting them out," another guard put in. "Good job."

"Thank you," Captain bowed. "But I fear I must take these two before his Majesty. I'll see you later." He turned and motioned for Aya and Rika to follow as the heavy doors swung slowly open.

Rika looked to Aya in real fear. "Spies? They could kill us for that!"

Aya looked a bit white around the mouth as well, "Then we'll just have to convince them we're not."

They walked into a room even bigger than the courtyard they had come from. Directly in front of them was a raised dais. Two golden thrones were located in its exact center. On the throne to the right, sat a lovely young woman. She held in her arms a small boy that could have been no more than three years old. That must be the emperor's wife and child. But the throne to the left was empty! Where was the emperor? Aya and Rika looked around unobtrusively, but could find no signs of the elusive official.

"Your Majesty," Captain went down to one knee leaving Aya and Rika standing uncertainly in the middle of the room. "I have here two persons that I believe to be spies."

The woman looked up in surprise, and Rika could see that she was very young. Eighteen at the most. "Spies? I see only two young girls. They must be barely younger than I. How could you see spies in these girls?"

Captain blushed a little, "They spoke of cities I was unfamiliar with and did not appear to know key details about our kingdom, including its name!"

The girl frowned. "That is hardly cause for an accusation of this degree! They look more like two frightened young girls to me. Do you have any other evidence of these girls' treachery?"

"Unfortunately, no. I did not have enough time to gain any more information." Captain was _really_ flaming now.

The girl turned her attention to Aya and Rika. "What do you have to say for yourselves?" she asked gently.

"Well, we're not spies!" Aya blurted out. "I'm much too clumsy to be a spy! Or so I'm told."

The girl smiled. "Any other reasons?"

Rika speared Aya with a fierce glare. "It's true we didn't know where we are. We're merely lost, ma'am. We just told the guard where we were from and began trying to sort out among ourselves where we might be when he dragged us in here. We really mean you and your husband no harm."

The girl started visibly. "I think I can believe your story if for no other reason than you do not know of our emperor. My husband is two years dead. My son is the reigning emperor. I am acting as his advisor of sorts."

"Of course!" Rika burst out. "Boshin! And you must be his mother Houki! And his father was..." Rika paused. "Saihitei? Ha! And my mother says I never pay attention in class!"

"You're such a nerd," Aya scoffed.

"That's correct," Houki answered suspiciously. "But please explain to me how you went from being lost travelers, totally in the dark as to our kingdom, to suddenly knowing not only my son's name and my name but the name of my husband as well. And a name that not many call him by."

"Uh..." Rika's face went blank.

"Good job!" Aya sighed. "Now I know that there's such a thing as being too smart!"

"You wouldn't believe us if we told you," Rika admitted.

"Try me," Houki stated dryly. "You would be surprised at what I will believe."

Aya looked at Rika for permission. "Go ahead!" Rika threw up her hands. "It seems that I've ruined everything already. How much more trouble could we get in?!"

"Well," Aya started. "First of all we're from another time. We were somehow transported here by some kind of red light. We have no idea where we are except for what we were told, and we just really want to get home!" Aya took a deep breath.

Silence reigned for a moment. "Y-you came from another world?" Houki's eyes were wide, but she didn't seem to have tossed their tale out of hand.

"Well, kind of," Rika admitted. "It might as well be."

"And only you two came through?" she asked in the same tremulous tone.

"Well, no, actually. We think that our two friends are also here somewhere," Aya answered.

"So there are four of you?!" Houki actually leaped up from her throne. "Four..." she breathed.


	6. A Room In The Palace

"What's the big deal?" Aya asked annoyed. "So what if there are four of us?"

"Then you truly do not know?" Houki asked in a breathy tone. Both girls shook their heads. "Then I shall tell you. Here in this world, there are four empires. The first is Konan. We're to the south. The second is Kutou. They're to the east. They are our sworn enemies, but not much is over there now. It was all ravaged after the war; they could never agree on a leader, and civil war broke out. The third kingdom is Hokkan. They're to the north. The final kingdom in this area is Sairou. They're to the west. Now all four of these kingdoms are protected by their own gods."

"Really?" Aya asked interested despite herself. "That's awesome."

Houki nodded. "Yes. Our personal god is Suzaku. He takes the form of the phoenix. Kutou's god is Seiryu. He's a blue dragon. Sairou's god is Byakko. He's a white tiger. Then, there is Hokkan. They are ruled by the god Genbu who takes the form of a brown turtle intertwined with a snake. Each of the four gods has a personal priestess. The priestess is supposed to come from another world. Only the priestess can summon the god. When the god is summoned, three wishes are granted. Usually, at least one of the wishes is for peace for the country or something like that."

"Four gods and four of us," Rika breathed.

"Yes," Houki nodded again. "But we've already had all four priestesses come. I can't imagine what you four are for."

Aya was struck with a thought. "You don't think the whole thing has been reset, do you?!" she looked quite horrified by the thought.

"Reset?" Rika thought for a moment. "It is possible that since all four priestesses have come, the entire thing would happen again."

"Oh, no, no, no!" Houki shook her head violently. "It's not possible! There was no such thing written to us in the Book of the Four Gods!"

"The Book of the Four Gods?!" Rika and Aya both cried out.

Houki looked surprised. "It was our sacred scroll. That was how we were to summon our god. We would gather all seven of the sacred seishi and toss the scroll into the ceremonial fire. Then Suzaku would come down to his priestess and grant her three wishes."

"Seven seishi?!" Again, the girls cried out.

"The seven stars of Suzaku!" Rika gasped.

"They are often called the celestial warriors," Houki agreed. "They are the blessed seishi of Suzaku, meant to protect the priestess while she is here on this earth."

"So what does all this mean?!" Aya growled in exasperation. "What the _hell_ is happening?!"

Houki shrugged. "I'm not sure."

Aya looked to Rika who sighed, "Well, don't look at me! How am I supposed to know?!"

Houki smiled slightly. "Well, it's obvious anyway that you're not spies. I cannot begin to apologize for this gross misunderstanding. You must stay the night with me here in the palace."

"Your Majesty!" one of the guards along the wall spoke without thinking. "You cannot!"

Houki changed suddenly from an excited teenage girl to an indifferent queen. "And why can I not? These girls are obviously no threat to our kingdom or me. In fact, I believe them to be priestesses. If that is not reason enough, then there will never be reason."

The guard flushed brightly beneath his helm and returned to his place. "Yes, Majesty."

Houki nodded firmly. "There. That's decided then. Now can I show you to your rooms?"

"No," Aya stated with a grin. "Not until I see that adorable baby!" While Aya was normally tough and unfeeling, she had a soft spot for any young thing, human or otherwise. Babies were really the only people she felt comfortable with. She'd much rather be outside in nature and far away from _everybody_.

Houki grinned back at her, "Of course!" She slowly traipsed down the steps until she was standing next to Rika and Aya. "Here, Boshin. Meet..." she paused embarrassed. "I'm terribly sorry. You never gave me you names."

"I'm Aya," Aya leaned forward and tickled the baby's cheek. The baby reached out for her; and with a smile, Houki surrendered the baby to Aya.

"And I'm Rika," Rika also craned forward to get a better look. "He's adorable!"

"Thank you," Houki beamed. "He looks just like his father."

"Really?" Aya asked absently. She was too busy playing with young Boshin to pay too much attention.

"Uh-huh. Hotohori was so brave and kind and _definitely_ handsome," Houki's eyes filled with unexpected tears. "I had him for so short a time, but I miss him so."

"How long were you two married?" Rika asked gently.

"Not very long at all."

"How old is Boshin?" Aya asked distractedly.

"Almost two," Houki answered. "Hotohori would be twenty now."

"How old are you?" Aya asked.

"I'm nineteen."

"Married at our age!" Rika exclaimed. "Imagine! I couldn't marry _any_one right now!"

"So what happened to him?" Aya blurted. "If it isn't too painful, of course," she added quickly.

Houki shook her head softly. "No, it's fine. My husband was one of the seven warriors of Suzaku. That's why everyone called him Hotohori. That was his celestial name. As you know," she smiled at Rika, "his real name was Saihitei. At that time, we were at the brink of war with Kutou. That's why it was so important that we summon the seven Suzaku seishi. Both Konan's and Kutou's priestesses had come at the same time. They were best friends in their world as it turned out. So Kutou invaded us, hoping their priestess would summon Seiryu to give them victory. We hoped to summon Suzaku to give us peace. In the end, there was all out war between not only the Suzaku and Seiryu seishi but Konan and Kutou as well. In the final battle, Hotohori challenged the leader of the Seiryu seishi Nakago to battle. He was killed."

"How horrible!" Aya cried out. "Nakago still lives then?"

"Oh, no!" Houki laughed. "Nakago was killed by Tamahome, our seishi's leader. We ended up killing all of the Suzaku seishi to my knowledge. There are none left now."

"Where are the rest of the Suzaku seishi then?" Rika asked looking around. "I'd like to meet them."

Houki looked saddened. "There were only three left in the end. Nuriko, Chiriko, Hotohori, and Mitsukake all died. Only Tamahome, Tasuki, and Chichiri are left now."

"Where are they?" Aya questioned.

"Let me see," Houki put a finger to her chin in thought. "Tasuki, I believe, went back to his band of bandits at the base of Mt. Reikaku."

"He's a bandit?!" Rika gaped.

Houki laughed. "Well, kind of. He only robs the dishonest merchants. Or at least his band does. Chichiri is wandering around out there somewhere. He's always been kind of a loner. Tamahome has been hiring himself out to different villages as their protector. So none of them are here right now. I really couldn't tell you where any of them are!" Houki giggled. "Tasuki's hideout is super secret. Not even the villagers that live at the base of that mountain can tell you where it is!"

Rika looked a little crestfallen. "Well, that's disappointing. I really wanted to meet them..."

"Well, I could tell you a little bit about them," Houki suggested.

"Would you?!" Rika perked up.

"Not here though," Houki stated firmly. "It's much too tiring standing here like this. I'll show you to your rooms, and we can talk in there."

"Agreed!" Aya sighed happily. As cute as little Boshin might be, he was a heavy two year old. It would be much easier on her arms to play with him sitting down.

They followed Houki down another hallway. This one was not quite as wide as the last. It was also open to the courtyard. Finally, towards the end, she paused. "This," she threw open the screen, "Will be yours, Rika."

Rika's room was truly luxurious even by modern day standards. There was a huge four post bed with gauze hanging from the top to provide a bit more privacy. There was the ancient version of a vanity and a metal tub that served for taking baths. "Wow," Rika breathed. This is really fancy!"

"Thank you," Houki grinned. "This is where the Suzaku seishi slept. This one was Tasuki's room, I believe."

"Oh, I don't want to take his room!" Rika protested.

"Don't be silly!" Houki admonished. "He hasn't come back once to reclaim his room, so I doubt he's going to now that you're here."

"All right!" Rika beamed. "This is going to be really fun! Let's see what your room is like, Aya!"

"Sure," Aya smiled. They went to the next room down and opened the door. Aya's room was an exact copy of Rika's.

"This was Tamahome's room," Houki informed them.

Aya pushed back the gauze and sank down on the bed. She laid Boshin down on a soft pillow. He cooed at her one more time and fell fast asleep.

"It's his naptime," Houki apologized.

Rika sat next to Aya, while Houki took a chair. "Come on, Houki!" Rika grinned. "Now that we're all comfortable, don't you think you should tell us about the seishi?"

Houki laughed out loud, "Well, aren't you the impatient one?!"

Rika laughed with her. "No, I'm just really anxious to hear about them. They seem so interesting!"

"This whole experience is 'interesting'!" Aya said dryly.

"Well..." Houki made as if she weren't sure.

"Houki!" Both of the girls protested. Though Aya could pretend she didn't care, she was just as interested as Rika.


	7. Mystery In The Courtyard

"Fine, fine!" Houki giggled. "Who shall I start with? How about Tamahome? He is really strong and brave. He actually rescued the priestesses of Suzaku and Seiryu from some _real_ bandits. Then he asked them to pay! Miaka wasn't happy about that!"

"Who's Miaka?" Rika asked.

"She's our priestess."

"Why does that name sound so familiar?" Aya wondered aloud.

"How should I know?" Rika asked with annoying logic. "I haven't been with you at all."

"That girl at the airport!" Aya burst out. "She said her name was Miaka. And she said both Mieri and I would be going on a journey! She's the one that gave us that stupid book!" Aya scowled. "She said I'd need my forgiving nature for my adventure. What was that supposed to mean? And she told Meiri to take care of 'them'. Did she mean the seishi? She said that she hadn't taken very good care of them...that there were only three left."

"Tasuki, Chichiri, and Tamahome!" Rika shouted excitedly. Boshin stirred with a tiny whimper. "Oops," she whispered. "Maybe we should be a little quieter."

Houki nodded gratefully. "He's going to be terribly fussy later if he doesn't get his nap."

"Well, now we know where all of the priestesses came from," Rika said finally. "They must have come from our world into yours using the Universe of the Four Gods."

"So you're world must also have a sacred scroll that chooses the priestesses for us and transports them here," Houki said thoughtfully.

Rika shifted in embarrassment. "Yeah, something like that. But about Tamahome..."

"Oh!" Houki started. "Yes, well, Tamahome is nineteen now. He's a terrible miser. He counts every coin he makes. Once he made a terrible fuss because he couldn't find one little coin out of three hundred! It turned out that it had rolled under his bed."

"How charming," Aya muttered sarcastically.

"Well, the reason is that he was sending the money home to his family. Evidently, he was the only money maker in a family of six. His mother had passed away, his father was injured for quite a while, and he had two little brothers and two little sisters to take care of!" Houki explained.

"Oh, how horrible!" Rika sympathized.

"Besides that, he's really very loving. His special power as a Suzaku seishi was prowess in martial arts."

"They had powers?!" Aya perked up.

"Uh-huh. Next is Hotohori, I suppose. He was so lovely! He would have made a beautiful looking woman. It's very odd being married to someone who is prettier than you!" Houki laughed. "He was very vain about it though. His power was fencing and sword work. He'd been trained since he was a child, so he was very good. Nuriko was an eighteen year old girl in Hotohori's harem. She would have been twenty by now. Eventually, they discovered that _she_ was a _he_. Nuriko was very feminine until the end, Tasuki tells me. And Tasuki was very close to Nuriko. His power was super strength. In fact, that's how they discovered he was a Suzaku seishi. A building had collapsed on Miaka and Tamahome. Nuriko just waded inâin one of the outfits you are wearing I might add!âand started tossing huge chunks of rubble over his shoulder! Chunks as big as the bed you are sitting on!"

"Wow!" Rika breathed. "That's amazing!"

Houki nodded, "Yep! Nuriko was killed by Ashitare, one of the Seiryu seishi. The next seishi we discovered was Chichiri. Or really, he discovered us. He saved Miaka from an assassination attempt on her life. Chichiri's very quiet. He wears a mask all the time. I never saw him with it off, but Tasuki is his very best friend. He tells me that Chichiri has a scar over one eye. So he wears a mask that is constantly smiling to keep people from feeling uneasy around him."

"What are Chichiri's powers?" Aya asked.

"Chichiri is a little bit of a magician. He can freeze opponents, pop up anywhere he wants to, and things like that. It's a bit amazing to watch some of the things he can do! He's twenty as well. Let me see..." Houki paused in thought. "The next to be discovered was Tasuki. Like I said, he was the leader of a band of bandits even back then. But an 'evil, fat freak' to use Miaka's words had taken over in his absence. He ended up kidnapping Miaka and trying to rape her. Hotohori and Nuriko were mistaken for girls, of course. They kinda decimated any loose bandits that weren't away. Tamahome was _so_ mad. He was out for blood. They were just about to rescue her when Tasuki showed up. He kidnapped Miakaâagain!âand disappeared. But Miaka convinced him to let her help him take back control of his band. So they took back the band. Tasuki got back his iron fan, and we discovered that Tasuki is a seishi!"

"Hold up," Aya interrupted. "What was so special about an iron fan?"

Houki looked surprised, "I forget that you don't know! Tasuki's tessen is very special. With a small spell that not many people even _know_ about, he can shoot fire from it!"

"Can you say what it is?" Aya whispered softly. "I mean, are you allowed to tell anyone?"

"Ha!" Houki burst into laughter. "Anyone within hearing distance could hear what the spell was! He shouts it out every time he uses it! It's Rekka-Shinen. But only certain people can use the fan. Tasuki is one of those chosen few. He's also pretty good at martial arts, and he's super fast."

"What about his temperament?" Rika asked, practical as always.

Houki sighed heavily. "'Temperament' would be the correct word. He has a terrible temper. He's very...how shall I put this...open?...with his feelings? He's about as open as a book. And the biggest chapters in that book would be rage and anger."

"Oh," Aya smirked. "I'm willing to bet he'd be no match for me."

Rika giggled. "You'd probably win that bet!"

"I don't know about that," Houki insisted. "But on to the next Suzaku seishi! Next was...Mitsukake. He's the oldest of the Suzaku seishi. He would be twenty-two. He was pretty quiet most of the time. His power was healing. He could totally heal a person once a day. He was the only one that wasn't killed even indirectly by a Seiryu seishi. He was tending to the wounded of the final battle with Chichiri. Chichiri hasn't really talked about it much, but the people that were there said that he just looked around and saw nothing but the injured. He was a doctor, you know. I guess he just lost hope. He gave his life for everyone there. He sent his life energy to the wounded. It left him and healed everyone there. It even brought back to life some soldiers from both Kutou and Konan. Chichiri was furious when they started fighting again immediately. He basically told them that Mitsukake had given his life for them and that they ought not waste it with more fighting."

"That's so sad," Rika sniffed. "He gave his life for those people!"

Houki nodded sadly. "Yeah, I think he was very brave. But the last seishi is, I think, the bravest of all. Chiriko was only thirteen when he died. They were on their way to save Miaka from Nakago. Another of the Seiryu seishi Miboshi was trying to stop them. Miboshi had a very strange power. He could take over people's bodies and use them as his own. He was in a little boy; but when they inflicted a death wound on the poor child, Miboshi abandoned that body and took over the unsuspecting Chiriko."

"No!" Aya cried out. "He didn't! He's only a little boy!"

"But Miboshi didn't care," Houki informed her. "The other seishi wouldn't hurt Chiriko, of course, so Chiriko helped them out. He basically drove the item that Miboshi used to control demons into his heart." Aya gasped. "Mitsukake even offered to heal him, but Chiriko refused knowing that Miboshi would be healed, too. So that's how he died."

"But what about him?" Rika asked. "What was he like before he died?"

"Well, Chiriko's power was great intellect. He was thirteen and had passed a test that men of forty or more were still studying for! He was the one that saved the rest of the seishi from Amiboshi, another Seiryu seishi. Amiboshi had impersonated him, and was on the verge of killing Miaka and the rest. But Miaka seemed to think that Amiboshi was really good inside." Houki frowned in thought, "As far as anyone could tell, Amiboshi basically allowed himself to drown because he couldn't take being a part of the evil Seiryu seishi. That's the last any of _us_ heard of him."

"That's all of them," Aya seemed kinda down.

"That was great, Houki!" Rika enthused. "They all were so amazing!"

Houki nodded proudly. "Yes, we were lucky to have such wonderful seishi. We could have had evil ones like poor Kutou."

Rika looked out at the sky. "Oh! Look! It's dark already!"

Houki also started in surprise. "I hadn't realized it was that late. I'm sorry." She took Boshin from the bed. "I'll just let you get to sleep. I hope you enjoy your rooms," she bowed as much as she was able with Boshin in her arms and left.

Rika sat there for a minute. "I guess I'll go, too. I want to write all of this down on something! It's so amazing!"

"Okay," Aya smiled tiredly at her friend. "You go to bed. I think I'm going to go to sleep, too."

"'K!" Rika smiled happily at her friend. "Goodnight, Aya."

Aya smiled back. "Goodnight, Kat."

Long after Rika had left the room, Aya lay on her bed staring at the ceiling. All the candles had been blown out, and only shadows could be seen. _The seishi sound so fun. But over half of them are gone. I'll never get to meet them. And Hotohori never got to even _know_ about his son. It's just not fair._ She rolled over onto her side. _This is so stupid! And it's the same in our world! People get killed for no reason at all. Or at least no good reason. Why did they have to die before I got a chance to meet them? Couldn't they have waited a couple years?_ Her thoughts were turning back to the Suzaku seishi again. _Why?!_

Unable to stand it any more, Aya rolled out of bed. She tiptoed across the floor, careful to make no sounds. Reaching the door, she slid it silently open. She paused for a minute, listening for any sounds. No one appeared and asked her what she was doing. No one came to tell her to return to bed. She crept out into the night.

_They died so young. Chiriko especially. He was barely a teenager!_ She jumped the rail that separated the open hallway from the courtyard. _They were all young. The oldest was only twenty! What's up with that?!_ She skirted the edge of the small pond that was in the center of the courtyard. _I hate death_, she decided. _It's pointless and stupid. There should be a way to stop it or something._ "I wish they were all alive!" Aya finally cried out to the sky. "Suzaku! Seiryu! Genbu! Byakko! All of you!" Aya was angry now. She sank to her knees in the wet grass. She was alone by the pond's shore. "I want them back!" she raged at the gods of this world. "I want them back." Aya's shoulders shook as sobs racked her body. She cried for herself a bit, but mostly she cried for the poor seishi that gave their lives for their kingdom. It wasn't often that Aya gave in to her emotional side; but when she did, she gave full vent.

A deep voice seemed to resound in her head, _"All of them?"_

"Yes!" she sobbed. "Yes!"

_"Very well, then. It shall be done."_

A guard passing by the courtyard stopped dead in his tracks. Usually this was a boring round. Nothing ever happened within the palace itself! But tonight there was a strange girl next to the pond. She was surrounded by a pure white light. It seemed to pulse through her, it was so strong. Her golden hair was in the air as if blown by a hitherto unfelt wind. Her eyes were closed, and she didn't seem aware of anything much less his presence. Then she opened her eyes and stared right through him. The white light that surrounded her filled her eyes and shone through! But she did not see him or anything really. Whatever she was staring at was not of this world. He lost all nerve at this point and whirled around to fetch his superior.

A few minutes later, he returned with not only his superior, but ten more guards and Houki, too. "See, Majesty? There she is! Just like I told you!"

Houki stared in surprise at the girl that knelt in her courtyard. A girl that not hours before, she had spoken with as she would have with anyone else! Now that same girl was filled with a power that was obviously not her own. At that moment, the white power surrounding Aya faded; and she collapsed to the ground. Houki watched several seconds more to ascertain that Aya would not awaken. "Take her to her room. Do not speak of this to anyone. Especially do not speak of this to her! She is obviously unaware of the power she possesses. It would not do to frighten her unnecessarily."

The guards nodded one by one. They understood. Three of them moved to pick up Aya. They carefully shuffled off to her room. The rest of the guards returned respectively to their beds or their posts.

Houki alone stood there for a moment or two more. What was she to do now that this had happened? What _could_ she do? _Nothing_, she decided after a moment. _This is the will of the gods. They are not subject to my approval._ So thinking, she turned around and headed for her own bed to put the matter out of her mind. At least until the morning.

Many miles away, in another land altogether, a young man rose from the rubble. He glanced at his hand, turning it over to look at it more closely. He wasn't sure how he had come back, but he was going to make good use of whatever time he did have. There were only a few people that he cared to revisit. And one of them was an old...friend...of his. So as he started scanning for the life forces of those that were like him, he had only one thought. _Tamahome..._

Another boy closer to the capital also awoke after years of forgetfulness. He had been living there all along; forgetting what he had once valued most. Well, he remembered now and only the gods above could keep him from finding his brother now. Already he could sense the life forces of his former team members. But he wasn't interested in them any more. He was looking for a life force that was identical to his own...


	8. Mieri and Yuko

Mieri awoke with a pounding headache. _Where am I? Oh...my head _really_ hurts!_ She sat up slowly and tried to ascertain her surroundings.

"You're finally awake, I see! You've been asleep for a whole day!" a girl's head popped in front of her.

"Ah!" Mieri scrambled back only to fall flat in what felt like hay.

"Chill out," the girl snorted. "It's just me."

Mieri took a closer look at the girl. "Yuko? Is that you?"

"The one and only!" Yuko nodded smiling. Yuko was only a little taller than Mieri herself. She had dirty blonde hair that hung just past her shoulders and beautiful blue eyes. "You've been laying there for the better part of an hour. I was beginning to think you'd never wake up!"

Mieri looked around her, confused. "Where are we?" They appeared to be in some kind of stable. Yuko confirmed that with her next words.

"As near as I can figure, we're in someone's barn out in the country. And before you ask, I don't know how we got here or where Rika and Aya are."

"Oh, yeah!" Mieri searched the interior of the barn with her eyes. "Where are they?"

Yuko scowled at her. "Didn't I just say that I didn't know?! How dense can you be?!"

Mieri stuck out her tongue. "Pretty dense when one minute I'm at Aunt Sanyo's with Aya, and the next minute I'm in a barn somewhere in the country with _you_!"

"Is there a problem with you being here with me?" Yuko asked playfully.

"Yes, actually. Aya can kick my ass, but she wouldn't. You, however, can kick my ass, and I'm pretty sure you'd have no problem with it."

Yuko raised a brow. "You're pretty observant. Now come on and get up...before I kick your ass."

Mieri laughed and hopped to her feet. "So we don't know where we are; and we don't know where Aya and Rika are, right?"

"Right," Yuko pushed on the huge barn door. "I haven't been outside yet. I wanted to wait until you were awake."

Mieri waltzed up beside her and started pushing as well. "Need some help?" she gasped out.

Yuko, who was also short of breath, gasped as well. "Sure! Whatever I can...get!"

The door was apparently made of pure oak. Neither girl was quite sure _who_ would put a door this heavy on a _barn_, but they did finally manage to get it open. "Wow!" Mieri groaned. "That really hurt! Remind me to never use a door that big on anything!"

Yuko rubbed her sore arms. "No problem. If I have to move something like that to get in your house...you'll be sleeping at _my_ house when I get back to Tokyo."

"Speaking of which..." Mieri stared around her in confusion. "Do you have the feeling that we're not in Tokyo anymore?"

Instead of the skyscrapers and hordes of people that consisted of Tokyo, the girls stared at pastures and cows. Here and there were some buildings, but most of them had been burned. A closer look at the barn they'd just come out of revealed that about half the roof had been burned off. There were no signs of humans anywhere.

"Okay," Yuko rubbed her hands together. "We must have..."

"Been kidnapped?" Mieri suggested.

Yuko speared her with a glare. "I don't think so. What kind of kidnapper leaves his victims unattended and not tied up?"

"A bad one," Mieri muttered.

"No, that's not it. Maybe..." Yuko gasped. "Do you remember what we did to Rika and Aya a couple of months ago?!"

Mieri thought back. "You mean that prank we pulled on them? Didn't we tell them that we'd both decided we were gay and were going to hook up?"

Yuko snickered. "Yeah, that one. Heh! Those pictures helped, too."

Mieri giggled, "I thought Aya was going to have a mental breakdown! She kept showing me these pictures of these _really_ hot guys and asking me if I thought they were cute, too." Mieri stopped. "No! You don't think those two drugged us or something to pull a prank on us?!"

Yuko nodded. "But that may be a little far fetched. That was months ago."

"Hah!" Mieri snorted. "Aya would wait _years_ to get us back for that. And I can guarantee she would have talked Rika into it."

"But how did those two plan it without us knowing?" Yuko wondered to herself. "They must have been planning this the entire time."

Mieri looked around her. "But what's the prank? And how'd they get us together? Aren't you supposed to be in the States?!"  
Yuko paused. "Oh, yeah. Well, let's stop asking ourselves dumb questions and try to find a human being."

Mieri agreed that while the situation was a little more than suspicious, they should try to find someone who could tell them where they were. "Fine with me. Which direction, Oh Brilliant One?"

Yuko assumed an incredibly haughty air. "I'm not sure, Royal Slave. I suppose I shall use my superior intellect to choose...the right." She started towards the road in the direction she had indicated. "Are you coming? I shall need someone to fan me, of course..."

Mieri snorted and ran to catch up. "As if. I'd rather bury my face in one of those cow...presents."

"That can be arranged," Yuko told her mischievously.

"Try it, and you die," Mieri promised.

"You," Yuko sighed dramatically, "are no fun at all."

"What part of that did you assume would be fun?" Mieri asked dryly.

"The part where I gleefully shove your face in a pile of cow sh—"

"—Dung," Mieri interrupted sternly. "Cow _dung_."

Yuko sighed again. "Very well. Where I shove your face into cow _dung_. That would be pretty fun. And as you pointed out earlier, I could totally kick your ass."

They both burst into laughter that was more than a little hysterical. But after all, they didn't know where they were or how they'd gotten there. They were entitled to a bit of hysterics. Finally, Mieri wiped her eyes—which were streaming with tears—and straightened. "I suppose we need to stop playing around. We still haven't spotted a single living soul."

Yuko glanced at the never-changing scenery of burned out buildings and abandoned farms. "Yeah. I wonder what happened to this place anyway?"

"What happened was a civil war," a deep voice to their right spoke up suddenly, startling them both.

"Jeez!" Yuko spun around.

Mieri emitted a high-pitched squeal and did the same. "Who are you?!"

The man leaning casually against a tree was—if anything—extremely handsome. He stepped away from the forest he'd come out of. His hair was the purest blonde they'd ever seen on anyone. It fell to just below his shoulders in perfect wavy layers. His eyes were a startling clear blue that could rival anyone's except perhaps Aya's. These were set in a very masculine shaped face with a strong chin and straight nose. And that was just his face! His body would have caused most football players to go green with envy. It was exquisitely crafted with just the right amount of muscle. Mieri knew in an instant that this young man was the embodiment of perfection. And that Aya would never forgive her for not being able to see him. He was everything Aya had ever expressed to _dream_ of. _And he's all mine..._ Mieri inwardly grinned. She was going to tease Aya with this for a long time to come.

"Who am I?" the young man stepped closer to the two girls. Mieri sighed. He didn't walk. He flowed. "I suppose you want my name? It's Nakago. I couldn't help but notice that you two seem to be a little lost?"


	9. Nakago

Yuko nodded to the implied question. "Yeah, we're a little lost. Actually, we were just looking for any signs of humanity."

Nakago smiled—breathtakingly Mieri thought—at both of them. "I know what you mean. I...woke up...this morning and was surprised myself. I hadn't thought this land was _that_ poorly populated."

"What did you say about a civil war?" Mieri finally worked up her courage to ask.

Nakago looked right at her for the first time. Up till now, he had been focusing his attention on Yuko. And was it her imagination, or did a look akin to distaste flash across those perfect features? "I did mention one, didn't I? Well, two years ago the emperor of this kingdom was killed. The war that Kutou had been fighting was ended at the same time. Luckily for us, the conquering kingdom didn't express much interest in our land. So the question was who would become the emperor? There were no heirs that we were aware of. Not even bastards, so the fighting began. All of this fighting, coupled with the war, served to destroy the last of what was good here in Kutou. Now this is an empty wasteland. It would be better for you two to return to whatever homes you've left."

"I'm afraid we don't know exactly where home is from here," Yuko frowned. "I've never in my life heard of any country called Kutou. Much less, one that has an emperor. I don't think I know of _any_ countries with emperors. Do you?" she turned to Mieri.

Mieri shook her head. "Nope. I'm with you. I didn't think there were empires left either."

"Do you have a map with you?" Yuko had turned back to Nakago.

Nakago shook his head, "But I can tell you the major kingdom, though. Konan is our most substantial neighbor. Then there's Hokkan and Sairou. They are also formidable. The rest is either unclaimed as of yet or provinces of these main four."

Yuko and Mieri turned their back on Nakago for a moment while they discussed any and all Geography lessons they might have had. "Did you ever here of any of those?" Mieri asked hopefully.

"I thought you might have," Yuko admitted with a tiny smile. "Okay, think! Wasn't there a country near France that sounded something like Sairou or Sailand? Or something like that!"

"I think you mean Switzerland, and I'm pretty sure that's not what he's talking about," Mieri commented dryly.

"Have you ladies reached your decision?" Nakago called out with no little hint of amusement laced with sarcasm.

Yuko shot an annoyed look over her shoulder. She turned back to Mieri for another quick exchange. "So we're not anywhere _we_ recognize. Do we trust this guy? I say, yes."

"I don't know," Mieri hesitated a bit.

"We really don't have much choice," Yuko rationalized. "Besides," she smiled quickly. "He's really hott!"

Yuko and Mieri turned as one to face the handsome stranger called Nakago. "Can you take us to any kind of city?" Yuko asked. "We could phone our folks from there."

"Phone?" for once the calm and confidant Nakago looked truly confused. "What do you mean by this?"

Mieri looked at him incredulously. "Phone home. You know, by using the telephone..."

Nakago's look was still mostly blank. "I have never heard of such a contrivance. Explain."

Yuko looked a little annoyed at this command but complied. "Telephones are electrical devices used to talk over long distances," she spoke slowly as if speaking to a small child.

Nakago frowned. "What region did you say you were from? I have never heard of either the 'telephone' or this 'electrical' device you speak of."

"We're from Tokyo, Japan," Yuko sighed exasperatedly.

"_You're_ from Tokyo," Mieri corrected. "I'm from , Japan."

"Same difference," Yuko waved her hand in the air as if swatting away a pesky fly.

A strange light lit Nakago's eyes. "Japan, you say? I seem to recall two other young women that were from this strange land of Japan. Tokyo also sounds familiar."

"Well, it should!" Yuko snorted in derision. "It's the capital!"

"And what's so strange about Japan? It's a rising world power!" Mieri proclaimed proudly.

"Is it?" Nakago raised a brow. "And how did you end up here?"

Mieri's face clouded. "Actually, I don't know."

Nakago nodded. "A bright light perhaps?"

"A red one," Yuko agreed.

Nakago's eyes hardened. "Red? Is that so?"

He took a moment to study the two of them. In fact, he seemed to be measuring something inside them that they couldn't—as yet—see or understand. He seemed disturbed and a little confused when he could not locate whatever he searched for. He looked at her for a moment.He smiled faintly at Yuko, but when he faced Mieri he seemed harder and much more deadly. Was it her imagination or did those beautiful blue eyes of his actually hide something close to hatred? Mieri shook her head. That was silly! Nakago had been nothing if not completely courteous.

"Well, if you would both be willing to travel with a companion as unsavory as myself—" Nakago temporized.

"Of course!" Yuko butted in brightly much to Mieri's dismay. "We'd love to travel with you. But where would we be traveling to?"

Again Nakago smiled faintly at her. "I believe we shall attempt to find some comrades of mine. They shall be extremely helpful in this venture that we are attempting."

"And what venture would that be?" Mieri asked quickly. It may have been her imagination earlier, but she did not quite trust in this man as much as Yuko seemed to.

Nakago once again focused solely upon her face. This was slightly unsettling, and Mieri squirmed under his gaze. Nakago smiled, "Why the venture of getting you two where you belong."

"Home?" Mieri felt compelled to ask.

An exquisite brow rose. "If home is where you belong, then that is certainly where I shall attempt to take you."

Mieri forced herself to take a deep breath and relax. What was she so worried about? Nakago had been courteous, polite, and quite charming the entire time. Why did she distrust him so? She pasted a smile on her face. "Thank you, so very much!"

Nakago did not seem to be fooled in the least. "You're very welcome. Now. Shall we find my companions? They can help lead us to where you belong."

"Where do we start looking for them?" Yuko asked curiously. "I mean do they live around here?"

Nakago chuckled a little bit. "No. But they will sense me, as I have sensed them. We will slowly move in their direction, and they in ours."

"Ah," Yuko nodded. "I see."

To Mieri, who had known her for a long time, it was painfully obvious that Yuko had no clue what he was talking about. But not wanting to spoil it for her friend, Mieri stifled her giggles and said instead, "So which way, Nakago?"

Nakago stilled for a bare moment. "Come," he motioned for them to follow and turned towards the south. "The closest isn't far, but he is too close to the border for my liking. We will hurry to him."

"Too close to the border?" Yuko shook her head. "Which border?"

Nakago's mouth hardened. "Konan. Our conqueror."

"Oh," Yuko said quietly. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Nakago turned and graced her with a small smile. "Think nothing of it, Lady Yuko."

"What did you call me?" Yuko asked, mouth agape.

"My Lady," Nakago bowed slightly. "I have chosen you to guard and protect. I hope you do not mind."

Yuko shook her head vigorously. "How could I mind?! It's so...sweet!"

Mieri was thinking more along the lines of 'suck-up' and 'nauseating'. But if Yuko thought it was that sweet, then good for her. Mieri at least wouldn't be duped into believing such a shallow gesture. That's what one side of her was thinking anyway. The other was wondering why Nakago had chosen Yuko and not her. But then again, Yuko was a lovely girl. And the most she could say about herself was that she was cute. Maybe. Shaking her head sternly, Mieri banished such thoughts from her head. _My! I'm in an uncharitable mood today! I'm acting more like Aya than normal. Maybe she's rubbing off..._

They had started down a different road than the two girls had been traveling on previously. Now there were less burned out buildings and more desolated fields. Apparently, this was a big farming region. Yuko wondered distractedly if they might find someone in one of those farmhouses. They didn't appear to have been damaged a great deal. But then, everyone knew that you didn't have to burn a farmer's house to ruin him. Just the field.

"How much further along is your friend, Nakago?" Yuko asked a couple hours later. Stopping by the side of the road, she took off her shoes and rubbed her feet. This wasn't exactly the way she was used to traveling. Her feet were killing her!

Mieri was in no better shape. But at school, she was in the band; so she was a little more accustomed to walking for a long period of time. "Yeah, where are we?"

Nakago stopped and looked back at them. Well, he looked back at Yuko. "Lady Yuko, are you tired? Forgive me. I should have thought of your condition more. We will stop for the night. Perhaps in the morning I can secure a decent horse for you to ride."

"That would be very nice," Yuko admitted with a grimace as she hit a sore spot on her foot. "I'm not used to walking at all. How are you doing, Mieri?" she asked turning to her friend.

Shrugging, Mieri replied, "Better than you. I have marching band, remember? We don't walk this much, but I'm not totally unused to it."

Yuko smiled wearily. "I guess I'm more out of shape than I thought."

Mieri laughed at her, "I could have told you that."

"Here," Nakago appeared suddenly beside them. "I shall find wood for a fire. You two get some rest."

"Okay," Yuko yawned. "I'm pretty tired anyway." She promptly lay down on the ground and, with a blanket they'd found earlier in a farmhouse, went to sleep.

"That was fast!" Mieri chuckled to herself.

"You should do the same," Nakago said at her elbow.

Mieri only just stopped herself from squealing in surprise. Only just. She hadn't known Nakago was still here. "I'm not that tired really," she lied.

"Well, you should rest despite that," Nakago insisted. "We shall have another long day of walking before we find Miboshi."

"Is that your friend?" Mieri asked curiously.

Nakago nodded. "Now go to sleep. I shall watch over you and Lady Yuko."

Mieri lay down beside the sleeping Yuko, but could not go to sleep. Somehow, the idea of Nakago watching over them was not as comforting as he might have thought. _Why do I mistrust him? I usually don't judge people like this. Maybe I'm jealous of Yuko?_ Mieri shook her head. No, whatever the reason, it wasn't that. _I'd be much happier if he'd just leave. I guess he's just one of those people that I dislike on sight. Or almost on sight._ Those things happened as Mieri well knew. She'd just have to make sure that she wasn't unfair to him because of that tendency to dislike him. _But he's been gone in those woods for some time. And if I have to go to the bathroom and happen to come across him, that's not my fault._

Grinning to herself in the dark, Mieri slowly rose from beside Yuko. She had seen Nakago's general direction and it couldn't be that hard to follow his trail, could it?" After she got out of sight of the clearing where they had stopped, Mieri was having second thoughts on how easy it was going to be to follow him. She could see next to nothing, and it was harder than it looked to move silently through the forest.


	10. Nakago's Friend & Plan

CRACK! Especially a forest full of dry twigs and sticks. Shaking her head, Mieri continued following a faint trail that she thought Nakago had taken. At this point, she really wished that Aya was here. Her best friend practically lived in their woods back home and was as comfortable in them as her own house. More so in fact. She would have had no trouble at all following Nakago and slipping up on him. She probably would have agreed about not trusting him, too. Despite the fact that Aya was a ditzy blonde, she was never stupid and had a skeptical streak that put Mieri to shame. Unless, she had taken a liking to you. Then nothing save an incident in front of her own eyes would shake her faith in you. But the same was true if she disliked you. It was hard to overcome Aya's general impressions once she had made up her mind.

Voices up ahead drew her back to the present situation. It was Nakago speaking, but Mieri couldn't quite discern whom he was talking to or what he was saying. She moved a bit closer and found that she could now both see and hear what was going on.

"You are sure?" a strangely feminine voice came from the young man Nakago faced. But much about this young man was strange. He had huge amounts of makeup on his face, hiding his true face. His hair from what Mieri could see was a dark brown and was pulled up in some fancy style. Two long feathers trailed from somewhere in that luxurious hair. He was a bit shorter than Nakago and could very easily have made a beautiful woman.

"Of course, I'm sure," Nakago chided softly. "Try to sense them yourself. The girls are not far away."

With a start, Mieri realized that the two were talking of Yuko and her! But what could interest them? And what did they mean by sensing?"

The young man stilled and closed his eyes. After a few seconds, he opened them again. "You are right. They are totally devoid of any kind of presence. They must be powerful indeed. The probability of them being the new priestesses is strong. But how do you know this Lady Yuko is of Seiryu?"Your Lady Yuko has the feel of Seiryu about her. The other of Suzaku. And the one of Suzaku..."

"Call it instinct, if you will," Nakago smiled coldly.

"Then this other..."

"Mieri is what she calls herself," Nakago supplied.

"Something tells me thisThis Mieri is much closer to us than Lady Yuko. She is somewhere near here, I believe," the young man scanned the woods as he spoke.

From her hiding place crouched behind a tree, Mieri stiffened. How could they tell where she was?! And could they pinpoint her location? She backed up a step slowly intending to escape.

Nakago also turned his attention to the woods. "She is, is she? Well, I suppose it's always possible that she went out into the woods for some reason and disappeared for one reason or another. In fact, with your powers, we could include Lady Yuko in on that little tidbit, Tomo."

The young man, Tomo apparently, nodded. "I will have it arranged. Would you like me to take care of Mieri now?"

Nakago paused. "I suppose so. It is not necessary for her to be there in person for your illusion to do its job. If you're creating one illusion, you might as well create her, too."

Tomo nodded again. "It shall be done."

Mieri was still backing away slowly, using their hesitation to make her escape. But if you're backing up, you can't see where you're going nearly so well. CRACK! Another stick, this one much bigger, broke under Mieri's foot.

Both Nakago and Tomo turned in her direction. "It seems you shall not have to look for her after all," Nakago commented. "There she is. Get it done."

Tomo bowed his head. "Very well." He turned to her and held up something on his palm. It was very small and appeared to be some type of shell. "Do you like my little clam shell? I call it the Shin. It has very interesting abilities indeed."

Mieri knew she had been seen and turned to run. She went into an all out sprint. Just when she thought that maybe they wouldn't chase her, something appeared directly in front of her. She skidded to a halt and almost fell.

Tomo stood grinning in front of her. "Didn't I tell you that the Shin has interesting abilities? Did you think I was lying?" He laughed a horrible laugh that set Mieri's nerves to singing. "You can't escape." One of his long feathers came to life and stroked her cheek lightly. "Too bad you couldn'thad to be of Seiryu.Suzaku. You're not my type, but you could have provided some entertainment at the least."

"And what would your type be exactly?" Mieri stalled for time even as she shuddered from the touch of that vile feather.

"Oh, I like my women not at all," Tomo replied with that horrendous laugh of his. "I prefer the stronger sex."

"You're gay?!" Mieri blinked. But it wasn't all that surprising really. Just look at him. He looked more woman that man.

Tomo shrugged, "If that is what you wish to call it. I prefer the term 'picky'. Not just any woman can have her way with me. Usually, it's not any at all!" Again that laugh. "But now, my dear, it is time to say farewell. You should not have come into Kutou. Kutou is an unsafe place for the Suzaku no Miko of any but Seiryu."

"What is that?" Mieri asked, frantically scanning for an escape.

"Why a the Priestess! of Suzaku! That is what you are. Just as Lady Yuko is most certainly the Seiryu no Miko. We are the Seiryu seishi."

A flicker of recognition. _Suzaku...the seishi...That book!_ Mieri put the facts together quickly. _But how did he know of that? We can't be..._in_ the book!_

"Goodbye, my dear Mieri. Say hello to the afterlife for me. Seeing as how I so recently left it."

_What...?_ Suddenly the feather that had been caressing her cheek so softly stiffened. It drew back and in one quick movement pierced her flesh. Mieri felt the shock of the blow and knew that it had at least nicked her heart. _I'm going to die!_ She felt the feather come out of her back. Just as swiftly as it had struck, the feather withdrew and hung deceptively still by Tomo's side.

_But there's no blood on it..._Mieri crumpled and fell to the forest floor. She felt the blood pumping slowly out of her. She would die here on this forest floor. _But there's no blood on the feather_, she thought weakly. Then, something Nakago had told Tomo flashed through her mind. _'It is not necessary for her to be there for your illusion to do its job.' Illusion...An illusion!_ Mieri struggled against the growing darkness. _This is just a really good illusion! That stupid clam! That's its ability!_ Mieri closed her eyes.

"Has it been done?" Nakago's voice sounded above her head.

"Yes, Nakago. She has been pierced by my feather. She will die shortly."

"Good. We should be getting back to Lady Yuko. If she wakes up, we had better be there to use that wolf illusion."

"Very well," the voices grew further away as Nakago and Tomo headed in the direction of Yuko.

Mieri struggled to right herself when she was sure they weren't returning. She managed to support herself against a tree. When she was positive she wasn't going to topple over, she glanced down at her chest. Bright crimson blood pumped from the hole in her chest. "But it's not real," she told herself firmly. She reached a hand up to touch it. It came away sticky and red with the blood. "It's really good," she continued, "but not real. Okay. How do I stop the illusion?"

Mieri tried to remember anything and everything her Aunt Sanyo had told her. Her aunt was into this type of stuff. Old magic and traditions. "Pressure point!" Mieri whispered weakly. "That's what can break the illusion. But where is one?" She racked her brains frantically trying to remember what her aunt had said. "Okay, there should be one somewhere one my chest," Mieri remembered. She raised her hand with only a bit more effort than it should have taken. Luckily, the blood was flowing slowly. Feeling around for a bit, Mieri finally had what she thought was the correct point. "Well...here goes nothing," Mieri took a deep breath and _pushed_. Pain like nothing she had ever experienced shot through her and left her gasping for breath. Even Tomo's feather hadn't hurt this much. Her vision swam as Mieri peered down at her chest. This time it was whole. No blood, no wound, and no reason to worry. But even as she thought that, she slipped into unconsciousness. Her mind had tricked her body into thinking it was weak and hurt. She wasn't going to die, but she was going to need some rest before she moved any time soon.

Nakago and Tomo made their way quickly back through the woods to the clearing where Yuko still slept. "She is still asleep. That's good," Nakago peered down at her. "She's the one that will call Seiryu and bring me revenge on the Suzaku seishi."

Tomo waited patiently behind him. Nakago had been the undisputed leader of the Seiryu seishi. He was the most powerful and therefore the one in charge. "Shall we do it now then?"

Nakago looked up from his thoughts of revenge. "Yes, we might as well get it over with. I shall wake Lady Yuko; and when I do, you start the illusion." Tomo nodded. Nakago strode over to where Yuko lay sleeping peacefully. "Lady Yuko. Lady Yuko!" he shook her gently.

"Hmm?" Yuko stirred. "What is it?" she opened her eyes and looked around her. "Oh! It wasn't a dream! I thought for a minute it was."

"Lady Yuko, have you seen Mieri?" Nakago asked in his almost monotonea worried voice. Monotone, but _very_ sexy. "She seems to have disappeared as "I wasreturned from gathering some firewood to find her gone."

"Did she go to the bathroom or something?" Yuko asked sleepily.

"I'm not sure. Perhaps you could—" An earsplitting scream sounded off not too far away.

"What was that?!" Yuko shot up, wide awake now. "That sounded like Mieri!"

"I hope she has not come to any trouble," Nakago commented. At that moment yips and barks reached their ears. Another scream, closer this time, rang through the air.

"Wolves!" Yuko leapt to her feet. "Mieri's out there with wolves!"

"Lady Yuko, this is Tomo, one of my friends that I spoke of earlier. He shall look after you while I go see about Mieri," Nakago motioned towards the silent Tomo and rose to his feet.

"But—" Yuko started forward.

"I do not wish you to be hurt as well," Nakago informed her. He gave Tomo a meaningful look.

There was a rustling of leaves and out of the bushes darted Mieri. Immediately after her bounded the biggest wolf Yuko had ever seen. Mieri sprinted across the clearing in an attempt to reach them. With one huge leap, the wolf sailed through the air and landed on Mieri's back, pushing her to the ground. He sunk his fangs into the back of her neck and shook his head sharply. Mieri moaned and thrashed then lay eerily still.

"Mieri?" Yuko staggered forward a step. "Mieri?! Get up!"

The wolf looked up, muzzle covered with blood, at the sound of the shouts. White fangs flashed as he snarled at them. He left the body of Mieri and headed in their direction.

"Foul beast!" Nakago roared. He stepped in front of the trembling Yuko. He stared at the wolf intensely for a second. With a yelp of surprise, the wolf found himself surrounded by a blue aura and twenty feet in the air. Nakago jerked his head to the right, and the wolf went sailing through the air. Snarls and whines brought his attention back to the surrounding woods. Yellow eyes stared hostilely out at him from the safety and cover of the bushes. "Be gone!" Nakago growled. The eyes stayed a moment more and then disappeared one by one as the wolves retreated into the dark.

At this point, Yuko found she could no longer stand. She started to slip to the ground; only Tomo's surprisingly strong arms prevented her from twisting her ankle or worst. He helped her down to the ground and then rose. It was Nakago who offered his shoulder for Yuko to weep on. And weep she did. She cried and cried until she was in danger of becoming sick. Finally though, she cried herself to much needed sleep, even if it was filled with dreams of the happier times.

When Nakago was sure that Yuko would not awaken, he motioned to Tomo. "You can get rid of the body and the blood now."

Tomo said nothing, but both the body of Mieri and the blood that was everywhere disappeared in an instant. "What would you have me do now?" he asked Nakago.

Nakago thought for a moment. "I suppose nothing for the moment. We shall see what time brings."


	11. Face To Face With Destiny

Rika stirred a bit in her sleep. Why was it so hot? She didn't open her eyes but pushed at the blankets. Only...the blankets didn't feel like blankets. With a huge groan, she sat up a bit. That's when she felt something tickling her breast. This woke her up completely, and her eyes shot open. "AAAAAHHHHHHH!" she screamed at the boy with his face buried in her ample bosom.

The boy stirred as well. His eyes cracked open while Rika froze in a panic. He didn't seem to quite know where he was. Then his eyes popped wide open. His breathing stilled. _Very_ slowly, he brought his arms up to her shoulders. Once there he slowly pushed himself up until he stood staring at his very unwilling pillow. "What the HELL?!" his roar as he leaped from the bed—and consequently her—should have woken up the whole palace. "Who are you?! Where am I?!"

Rika unfroze; in an instant she had that ceremonial sword on the wall down and pointed at the stranger's midsection. "I think you're going to be the one to tell me who _you_ are."

The stranger glared at her. He had fiery orange hair and golden eyes. He was taller than she, standing at what must be six feet. He was naked to the waist and looking very uncomfortable. "Where am I?" he took a hasty look around and paused. "Hey! This is my old room! At the palace!"

Rika glared right back at him. "No. This is _my_ room at the palace. And I want to know what you're doing in it!" She restrained the urge to cover her breasts. She was dressed in a shift that given the circumstances seemed very thin and inadequate.

"No!" the boy shook his head. "This is my room. I remember it. I slept here, and Tamahome slept on that side. I think Chiriko had that room." The boy looked around again and nodded to himself. "Yep. Now what are you doing in here?"

"Tamahome?" Rika paused and lowered the sword a trifle. "Chiriko? Weren't those the names of the Suzaku seishi?"

"Damn right! I'm Tasuki, _little girl_. And I suggest you explain yourself," he whipped out a strange iron fan, "before you're hurt."

"Wow!" Rika dropped the sword and bent close over the fan to study it. "Is that the fan that shoots out fire?!"

"Yes! Now what are you doing here?!" Tasuki sounded grumpy, but who could blame him? One minute he'd been sleeping soundly next to Koji, the next he was laying on the biggest pair of breasts he'd seen since his last visit to his mother. Most guys would be thrilled at the new arrangements. Not Tasuki. He'd had a tremendous fear of big breasts ever since his mother had constantly smothered him when he was a small child in her own huge breasts.

"My name is Rika, and Houki told me I could sleep here," Rika answered defensively. "She told me that you were staying with your bandits. She said you wouldn't want your room just yet."

Tasuki didn't look like he was totally convinced, but he really didn't have a chance to protest. For at that moment, a horrendous scream of mixed horror and rage split the air, eclipsing anything that Rika or Tasuki had managed. This was followed almost immediately by a thump as something hit the wall.

Rika looked up wide-eyed. "That sounded like Aya!"

"Who?"

"Don't worry about it!" Rika dashed towards the door. "Whoever's in that room just got a rude awakening!" Tasuki followed this strange girl out of curiosity and a strong sense of dread, for Tamahome was in the room with this 'Aya'.

Aya was awoken by three things. The first was a scream that was little more than a high-pitched squeal. This was soon followed by a deeper, more masculine shout of rage. But even this did not cause Aya to do anything more than sigh heavily and attempt to roll over. Attempt. This was the third thing. The one that caused her to awaken rather abruptly. Something very heavy was on top of her. And now that she was thinking about it, was actually crushing her! She opened her eyes to see the top of someone's head. This head was covered with hair so black, it looked blue. This head was also face down in her boobs.

"Ah!" she braced herself against the bed and scooted back until the boy's face was lying in her lap. "Get off!" The poor thing was just awakening when she reared back and hit him. This was no open palm sting. This was a full-fledged punch to the face. The force was such that the young man flew into the wall on the opposite side of the wall.

"What the—?!" the boy picked himself up off the floor with such speed and grace that Aya was forced grudgingly to admit some talent. "What was that for? Where am I?"

"That," Aya all but hissed out, "was for burying your face in my boobs! And you are currently located in the middle of your worst nightmare if you don't tell me how the hell you got in here and on top of me!"

The boy, who was quite handsome even with his blossoming black eye, was confused. "On top of you? Listen, you. I went to sleep on a pallet all alone. I don't know who the heck you are, but at least I know I'm not dreaming."

The girl that he had apparently offended glared at him. "You might have gone to sleep on a pallet all alone, but you did not wake up that way. I want to know why you were sleeping with me!"

"Did I have too much sake?" the boy mused totally ignoring her. "I hadn't thought I'd drank that much." He looked back up at her. "Are some whore I hired?"

Aya stood flat-footed for a second. When her poor mind finally processed what he'd said, her eyes darkened until they appeared to be black. "You. Are. Dead," she advanced upon him with a single purpose. That purpose was to render him physically as close to a female as it was possible without precise surgical instruments.

"Hey now," the boy backed up slowly hands raised. "What are you doing?"

Aya answered him with calm. And with Aya, calm is deadly. "I'm going to see if you'd make a pretty girl. I'm not really sure, so I'll just have to try it out."

The boy's eyes widened. "Girl?! What's that supposed to mean?!"

The girl slowed her approach until she was almost floating towards him, "Why, what do you think it means?" Her voice became deep and seductive. "I suppose it _could_ mean just about anything you wanted it to."

He continued to back up until his back hit the wall. "A-anything?" his breath was coming hard by now. And he wasn't sure if it was from fear or desire. This strange girl was very beautiful. And at least she didn't _look_ like she wanted to slit his throat...not at the moment anywaynow.

"Oh, yes," she breathed. Now she was directly in front of him. She drew even closer until he was sure that he could feel every curve she possessed. "Anything."

The boy decided that he felt very afraid and not a little light-headed. "What do you want it to mean?" he managed to ask.

The girl's stunning blue eyes widened. "Why I suppose I want it to mean this," she placed her hand gently on the center of his attraction. The boy gasped as he felt it stiffen.die right then. But she wasn't through yet. "Or maybe I want it to mean this."

Pain was abstract compared to what this girl did to him. The hand that had so gently touched him _squeezed_. And that alone would have sent him to the brink of insanity. But she also _twisted_. And this was too much. His vision darkened, and he fell to the floor.

Aya smiled smugly. "Nasty little pervert. That's why men are so easy. They let their other head rule."

"Aya?!" Rika's voice sounded extremely worried.

Looking up, Aya saw Rika practically fly into the room followed by a boy with deep orange hair. "Oh, no!" Aya moaned. "Did you have one, too?!"

Rika stared at Tamahome's prostrate form with mingled horror and amusement. "Oh, Aya! What did you do to him?"

Aya glared fiercely at Tasuki. "Did you wake up to him? Was that your scream I heard? So help me, little boy, if you touched—"

"Aya!" Rika shouted laughing. "Can you come out of righteous warrior mode for a moment?"

Looking unhappy and still glaring at Tasuki, Aya nodded.

"Good," Rika breathed a sigh of relief. "This is Tasuki. That is...," she turned to Tasuki for a moment.

"Tamahome," he answered with a positively gleeful grin at the unconscious boy.

"Tamahome," Rika echoed.

Aya blinked. "You mean like the seishi? Who would name a bastard like that after a seishi," she gestured contemptuously at the form on the floor.

"No, not _like_ the seishi," Rika corrected. "They _are_ the seishi. We're not exactly sure how they got here, but they seem to be appearing in their old rooms."

Aya's eyes widened. "So they aren't perverts trying to get some?"

Several minutes were needed to keep Rika from choking to death. Although Aya couldn't see what was so funny, Rika seemed to think it hilarious.

"You thought he was trying to rape you?!" Rika gasped out at last.

Aya crossed her arms and sat down heavily on her bed. "He called me a whore."

Tasuki, who was trying to revive Tamahome, glanced at her. "Remind me never to call you that. What did you do to him anyway?"

Aya focused her gaze on her toes and mumbled something inaudible.

"What was that?" Rika asked playfully.

"I said," Aya glared at them both. "I...I think I might have ruptured his balls," she said rapidly.

Rika stared blankly at her. "You what?"

Just then, Tamahome stirred. "Oh..." he groaned and sat up slowly. "What happened?" he cracked open his eyes. They immediately widened when he sighted Aya. "No! Get away!" He scrambled back until he ran into Tasuki. He frantically grabbed Tasuki's hand. "Tasuki! Quick! Flame her before she gets you, too!"

"Gets me?" Tasuki laughed loudly.

Tamahome shook his head stubbornly as he stood. "She's a wicked seductress! She gets into your head somehow. Then, when you're least expecting it, BAM! She's got you!"

Rika turned to stare at Aya, "What did you do to the poor boy?!"

Aya shrugged. "Nothing less than he deserved."

Tasuki frowned impatiently. "How did we get here, by the way? I was asleep on Mt. Reikaku."

Tamahome seemed to have recovered from his temporary bout of insanity even if he was still a bit wary of Aya. "I was just going to sleep in a village. Where did you say we were again?"  
"You're in the palace, pretty boy," Aya sniffed. "You're in your old room apparently."

Tamahome turned white. "The palace? Why? What for?"

Tasuki gave an exasperated sigh. "Now how am I supposed to know?"

Rika's brow was knitted in thought. "Does that mean that Chichiri's back, too? Where did he sleep?"

"A few rooms down if I'm not mistaken," Tamahome mused.

"Then let's go!" Rika hurried from the room, followed closely by Aya.

Tamahome glanced at Tasuki who shrugged. "What can we do? If she is a seductress, I'll get Chichiri to turn her into a man. Does that suit you?"

Tamahome nodded reluctantly and headed with Tasuki towards the room that held Chichiri.


	12. The Rest of the Seishi and Unravelings

Hi you guys! Sorry I'm taking so long! But school work is keeping me down! That and the fact that my dad despises my writings and deleted them all…--…But not to worry! I luckily have everything saved on disks, too, so you'll get your chapters…someday…hopefully now that it's thanksgiving break I'll have some time to work on it and get some more chapters edited for ya'll. But enough of that! You probably want the story now right? Well, alright! Thanks for all of you who reviewed! I really appreciate your support and suggestions. Now on with the story!

Rika burst into the room Tasuki had indicated followed by Aya and finally Tasuki and Tamahome. There on the bed was the form of a young man. He was stretched out in slumber and appeared to be quite content.

"Chichiri? Chichiri!" Tasuki ran to the sleeping Chichiri and gave him a bear hug. "You're back!"

Chichiri gazed at him with sleep glazed eyes, "Tasuki? How did you get up here?" Chichiri looked around, becoming more awake every minute. "Or how did I get down here? Where are we, no da?"

"We're back in the palace," Tasuki exclaimed cheerfully. And why shouldn't he be cheerful? He hadn't even gotten slapped for his rendezvous with Rika. Tamahome had gotten a black eye and another very tender area. Tasuki snickered. _Look at him! He can't even sit down!_ He hid his smile from Tamahome, who was standing gingerly in the corner.

"How did we get there?" Chichiri asked, surprised. "And who are the lovely young ladies you have brought, na no da?!" He smiled at Rika, who smiled back.

"We're not sure," Tamahome put in gravely. "And I know _I_ don't know who these girls are. Maybe they'd like to tell us now."

Rika was still staring at Chichiri. Nothing Houki had told them could prepare her for his stunning good looks. He had a haunted look about him. Like there was something in his past that had affected him deeply. True to Houki's word, a scar ran over his left eye. But instead of feeling uneasy, Rika was feeling…turned on. _That scar and his whole damn attitude is just too sexy!_

"I guess I'll take over the telling of this story," Aya said with no little amusement. "Well, we're not from around here."

"No one with hair that color could be from around here," Chichiri noted. "I've traveled quite a bit, no da. You're only the second person I've seen with hair that color."

"Nakago," Tamahome growled. "Where do you hail from? If you're his kin, I'll show you no mercy!"

Aya stared at him, her contempt obvious. "Isn't Nakago the one you killed? Well, I suppose you must have a pretty good reason for hating him, but let me tell you something. If you mess with me, you'll get your ass kicked. This morning will be nothing."

"Now, now," Chichiri looked uncomfortable. "Let's not fight…"

"You don't have any clue what I've been through!" Tamahome yelled suddenly.

"That's right," Aya agreed getting right in his face. "And I couldn't really care less. All I want to do is go home! But no. I'm stuck here with you in this stupid―"

"Aya," Rika broke in. "Is it that time of the month again?"

Aya's mouth flapped open and she gaped. "H-how dare you!" she flew at Rika with plenty of giggles and exaggerated cries of rage. "That is _so_ not the question to ask me right now!"

"Then it's true!" Rika laughed. "I knew you were acting far too aggressive."

Aya finally grew tired and plopped on the ground, glaring up at her friend. "That, my dear, is not funny in the least. You're the second person in as many days to comment on my bitchiness."

"Well, if there was a queen, you'd be it," Rika shrugged ruefully.

"Thanks, Rika," Aya grinned wryly.

"No problem!" she responded brightly.

"So now what?" Aya asked glancing around at the group. All except Tamahome were smiling at her in a funny way. "What?" she asked sharply. "None of you have ever been around girls before?! These things do happen, you know!"

While the other seishi were talking amongst themselves, Rika whispered to Aya, "Well…We need to find Yuko and Mieri. They have to be in this world as well. But where could they be?!"

Aya shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe they landed somewhere else in Konan. We were lucky enough to land in the palace, but they may have landed in another city."

"How big is Konan?" Rika asked, turning to the natives.

"Pretty extensive, no da," Chichiri mused. "Why do you ask?"

"So what do we do?" Rika fretted. "They could be anywhere!"

A moment of silence, then, "They're still be wearing their clothes like we were, right?" Aya asked suddenly.

"Well, yeah, unless they changed like we did," Rika frowned.

"So have Houki put out like a wanted poster or something for all unaccompanied foreign girls that look to be from fifteen to nineteen," Aya suggested logically.

"Did Aya just say something smart?" Rika looked around amazedly. "_My_ Aya? There must me some kind of mistake. _My_ Aya never has anything smart to say."

"Okay you!" Aya laughed and gestured menacingly. "Don't start with me."

"So let's go get Houki," Tasuki shot down the hallway followed by Chichiri and Tamahome. Since Aya and Rika weren't too sure where they were going quite yet, they dashed after the excited boys.

"Hey!" Aya raced down the hall leaving Rika behind her. "Wait up, you idiots!" She glanced back at Rika and slowed down a bit.

"They're just going to Houki's room," Rika pointed out. "It's not like we don't know where it is."

"Oh good! You know! I've forgotten," Aya admitted sheepishly.

Rika shook her head as they arrived at Houki's screen. "For all that you're smart and brave, sometimes you're just dumb."

"It's the blonde coming out I'm afraid," Aya smiled.

Shouts from inside the room caught both girls attention. Aya kicked the screen in and burst into the room, followed closely by Rika. "What's the matter?!" She looked around her in confusion. Houki was crying on her bed clasping Boshin to her breast. Tasuki, Chichiri, and Tamahome had surrounded and were talking excitedly to what looked like another woman. "Who is that?" she asked Houki quietly.

Houki only shook her head. She was crying too hard to reply.

Aya let out a sigh of annoyance and waltzed over to the female. "Who are you?" she asked with a slight frown.

The woman looked up suddenly from where she had been talking to the Suzaku seishi. "Me?"

"No, the other strange woman that I don't know."

Houki gasped. The woman didn't seem to notice as she smiled down at Aya. Aya then realized she was kinda tall even barefoot. Although she didn't feel it at times, Aya was pretty tall for her age at 5'8". But this woman dwarfed her. If she wasn't six feet, she must be just under. She had long silky sable hair that fell to her hips. It was tied very casually back with what looked like a silk thong. Her green eyes were kind when she replied, "Strange woman? I don't think so. But I am beautiful enough, don't you think?"

Aya looked up in confusion. "What in the world are you talking about?"

The woman just smiled.

Houki recovered enough to run back to the woman and wrap her arms around the poor thing.

Aya stepped back for a moment to confer with Rika. "Do you think that's her sister?"

Rika took in the way Houki was sobbing over the stranger. Then the way Tamahome, Chichiri, and Tasuki were still chatting amiably with her. Finally, at the overall wealth of the visitor's clothes. Not many people could afford that. "Hotohori?"

Aya blinked. "No way! Hotohori was a guy!"

"Um…I am a man," the stranger insisted.

"Like hell!" Aya frowned. "I think I'd know my own sex!" she stomped over to the stranger. Placing her hand on his…genital regions, she began, "If you're a man, why don't you have――" Her eyes widened. She felt around a little bit more. The stranger's face turned red as anything, and everyone in the room was staring at her with not a little horror.

Tasuki was the first to break the silence with a loud guffaw. "HA!!! You got caught feeling up the emperor!" He burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Former emperor," Hotohori corrected with a slight clearing of the throat.

Aya jerked back her hand as if it had been burned. She stared at it in terror. "Oh. My. God. I just touched…a penis!" she held her hand out in front of her like something vile and turned to Rika. "What do I do?!"

"First," she hissed, "You should apologize for offending the emperor before we lose our necks!"

"Sorry," Aya mumbled distractedly in the direction of the blushing Hotohori and giggling Houki.

"Next," Rika continued, "Just…I don't know. Wipe it on something."

Aya complied by rubbing her hand on Rika's shoulder.

"NOT ON ME!!!"

Aya grinned finding some of her humor returning. "You said wipe it on something."

"Some_thing _not some_one_!!!"

"Whoops," Aya replied with a little less than apologetic tone and another grin.

"You'll get yours, Aya Namahira. You'll get yours."

Aya laughed along with Rika while the others caught up a bit. But suddenly, realization dawned on Aya. "Hold on!" Everyone turned to face her with a start of surprise. "Isn't the Emperor Hotohori _dead_?"

"Well, yes, of course," Houki looked a little confused.

"Then why is he here?!" Rika asked with a little bit of panic as she, too, realized the implications.

"Sometimes, the Suzaku seishi come back to see us, na no da," Chichiri offered. "But not often."

"But wouldn't they come back as ghosts?" Rika reasoned. "Hotohori has a flesh and blood body!"

Hotohori looked down at himself as if just realizing. "I'm afraid she's right. I don't really know why I'm here either. I just suddenly found myself here in my bed."

"This is a problem, no da," Chichiri frowned in thought. "It is one thing for us to be transported from different areas to here. But for something to bring back the dead, and in a body, means something very important, no da."

"Is it Suzaku?" Tasuki asked.

Chichiri shrugged. "I don't know, no da."

"Well, if I'm back…" Hotohori glanced towards the door.

Seven people suddenly froze. As one they headed for the door. Tasuki with his swift feet took the lead with the rest of the seishi and the girls in tow.

He came to Nuriko's room first. He threw open the door and halted.

A figure on the bed rolled over to face the wall with a highly audible groan. "I don't know what time it is, but I know it's too early for me to get up!"

"Nuriko!" Tasuki bounded into the room. He wrapped the sleep dazed Nuriko in a huge hug and then set him carefully down.

Nuriko sat up and rubbed his eyes. "What are you doing here?" His eyes shot open, "Are you dead, too?!"

"No, idiot!" Tasuki grinned. "You came back!"

"I did?" Nuriko looked around. "Hey, I did! What for?"

"Got me," Tasuki shrugged. "Ask those two," he pointed at a suddenly alarmed Rika and Aya.

"Uh-uh!" Rika protested backing away. "No way, are you blaming this on me!"

"Me either!" Aya agreed.

"Come on!" Houki pulled on her husband's arm. "The others must be here, too!"

Mitsukake's room was next. The large man was sleeping blissfully and appeared calm when they told him he was alive again.

"Oh. Isn't that a pleasant surprise?!" Mitsukake grinned happily.

"You're taking it well, na no da!" Chichiri grinned happily. He was playing with Tama, Mitsukake's cat. Tama had disappeared not long after his master had died.

Mitsukake shrugged. "I don't see any reason why I should fuss. I'm alive again!"

"True!" Houki laughed.

Finally, Chiriko's room was left. Aya was the first one to this door, and she opened it carefully to peek inside. "There's no one here," she informed the rest sadly. "He's not here."

Hotohori had always been rather fond of the young child imagining how his own son would someday be. Hotohori had unfortunately died before he knew Chiriko long or even realized he was to have a child. He frowned a little from disappointment. "I wonder where he is?"

"Where who is?" a voice asked behind him.

"Chiriko," he answered sadly.

"I'm here!" the voice happily answered.

Hotohori turned and saw a smiling Chiriko behind them all. "Where have you been?"

"Looking for you, of course," was the little boy's reply. "I knew the rest of you would have come back, too. And with all the ruckus, I assume we've found everyone?"

"Yeah," Tamahome stepped up. "You were the last of us."

"Now we have everyone!" Houki clapped her hands.

"Everyone except Miaka," Nuriko reminded them.

For a moment, everyone was silent as they thought wistfully of their carefree priestess.

"Speaking of priestesses…" Houki spoke up into the silence. She glanced at Rika and Aya. "I have an assumption that you may want to hear."

Chiriko looked up. "I think I know what you mean to say. We were all brought here for a reason," he began facing the others. "Do you not find it strange that these girls were brought here at basically the same time?"

"We still don't know who these people even are!" Tamahome insisted.

"So ask them," Mitsukake suggested.

Tamahome rounded on Rika, "Where do you come from?!"

Rika blinked in surprise. She saw Aya tense, but for some reason her friend decided to say nothing. "Where am I from? I'm from Tokyo, Japan!"

"And what is that?!" he demanded.

"Her home. Didn't you hear her?" Aya couldn't resist butting in any longer. "That's the world we came from."

Chiriko nodded. "I suspected you might be from another world.

Tasuki hesitated. "How can we know they tell the truth? I have to agree with Tamakins on this one."

"I have a feeling they are telling the truth, na no da," Chichiri put in helpfully. Rika smiled at him.

"Tell them exactly how you came to be in Konan," Houki encouraged.

Rika nodded. "Well, we all four were―"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Tamahome held up his hand. "There are more of you?"

Rika nodded. "Our two friends Yuko and Mieri were also transported here. But we were separated. Yuko and I, Mieri and Aya. Those two had the original version of the Book of the Four Gods," she gestured at Aya. The seishi visibly winced at the mention of the Book of the Four Gods. "We were talking on the phone―I know you don't know what that is, don't ask―when we all four read the first page at the same time. It was at that time that a red light surrounded both parties. Aya and I woke to find ourselves here at the palace. We haven't found Yuko or Mieri yet. I hope they're together and safe." A hint of worry started to creep into her voice.

"I didn't feel the aura of Suzaku when I was being transported," Chichiri frowned. "I would most certainly have felt it. I did feel something though."

"Ahem," Houki cleared her throat nervously.

"Yes?" Hotohori turned to her.

"Something strange did happen last night…"

"What?" Tamahome leaned closer. "If it would help, tell us!"

"Well, late last night the palace guard woke me to report a strange intruder by the pond."

"Strange?" Chiriko mused. "How so?"

"When I went to check this story myself, I saw…Aya."

"Me?!" Aya was taken aback. "I was by the pond last night, but I think I would have noticed you and the guards."

Houki looked at her sympathetically. "Not in the state you were in. When I realized it was Aya, I stopped the guards from approaching her. But she was…not herself. She was surrounded by a very bright aura of white light. And when she opened her eyes, the aura shone through."

"That is very strange, indeed. What else happened, na no da?" Chichiri questioned.

"After her eyes opened, the aura faded; and Aya collapsed onto the grass. She appeared to be unconscious. I had the guards put her back in her room and made them swear to tell no one."

"Is that all?" Hotohori asked gravely. Houki nodded.

Aya had gone deathly pale. "I-I don't remember what happened after I reached the courtyard! I was really sad that I couldn't see you all," her brow furrowed, "I…I don't remember anything else."

"Is it possible she has some type of power?" Nuriko addressed Chichiri and Chiriko as the ones most likely to know.

"It's possible," Chiriko admitted. "Chichiri can you scan her life-force?"

Chichiri nodded and concentrated for a moment. "I cannot sense it, na no da!"

"What?!" as one the Suzaku seishi cried out.

"That's not possible!" Tasuki protested.

"It is possible," Chiriko corrected. "But only if said person is much stronger than Chichiri."

"Check the other's!" Tamahome commanded.

"Hey! I have a name! It's Rika!"

Chichiri concentrated again. "I can't sense hers either, no da."

The Suzaku Seven plus one very smug Houki stared at the two girls. "Don't look at me!" Aya exclaimed. "I didn't do anything!"

"Why would Chichiri be unable to sense their life-forces?" Hotohori wondered out loud.

"You said the aura was white?" Chiriko asked suddenly. "It could be that these four girls are new priestesses."  
"Impossible!" Hotohori burst. "We've already had our priestess!"

"Is there anything to say we can't have another?" Mitsukake asked quietly.

"Me!" Tasuki asserted. "I won't replace Miaka with some other girl!"

"Um…Hello?!" Aya stood with her hands on her hips and a decidedly irritated look in her eyes. "Who told you idiots that we wanted to be these priestesses? You just go off and assume that because _you_ value them so much, we must be _dying_ to become one?! Well, you can all just kiss my ass!" she snorted. "I couldn't care less about being a priestess! I'd probably have to wear some kind of dress! No, thank you!" Aya spun around and grabbing a giggling Rika, stomped out of the room.

They rest looked at each other in various forms of shock, amusement, and worry. "Do you really think they are priestesses?" Houki asked Chiriko quietly.

"I don't see any other explanation as to why we would suddenly find ourselves back here."

"Then we'd better figure out how we're going to convince them to like us again," Tamahome sighed. "I don't think they're too open to the idea."

"We'll figure out a way, no da!" Chichiri smiled happily. "They can't hate us too much!"

"I hate them!" Aya stomped down the halls dragging Rika behind. "They're so arrogant! Thinking we'd just jump and beg to be their damn priestesses! Whatever the hell they are!"

Rika allowed herself to be pulled along. She noted in amusement that although they met several guards along the way, all of them scrambled to find alternate routes when they saw Aya's face. "Maybe they didn't mean it that way. I mean we did kind of drop out of the sky on them. Some of them are supposed to be dead! And we're the only way they have to explain what happened. Besides, what if we really are the priestesses?"

Aya stopped and glared at her friend. "Do you have to be so damn PRACTICAL?!"

Rika smiled, "I can always tell when you're really angry. You start cussing a lot."

Aya's anger slowly drained in the face of such annoying cheerfulness. She struggled to hide a grin. "And since when did you get to be such an expert on my moods?"

"Since I've known you for three years or more."

"Smartass."

"That's the spirit!" Rika laughed. "Now what do you want to do?"  
Aya thought. "As much as I like Houki and _some_…of the seishi, I think we need to go find Yuko and Mieri. These people are only concerned about their priestess. We'll never find them at this rate!"

Rika nodded reluctantly. "I think you're right. Our friends have to come before people we just met. No matter how much we like them."

"So you wanna go?" Aya asked her eyes alight.

"Shouldn't we get our stuff?" Rika asked.

"What stuff?"

"Well, clothes would be nice."

Aya suddenly remembered that they were still in their nightclothes. She blushed as she realized everyone had seen them. "Agreed. Clothes first."

It took no time at all to sneak back to the rooms and grab their clothing. Having Houki's permission to be there, the two girls had simply walked back to the palace laundry to fish out their clothing. In Japan, Aya had been wearing a spaghetti strap shirt with some cheerleading shorts. But in the US, Rika had been in bed. She had only her cloud pajamas that she could put on.

"I feel like a dork," she complained to Aya.

"Well, you look like one, too, so it's to be expected."

Rika glared, "That's not funny."

"Well, do you think I fit in any better? I'm as much of a sore thumb as you are!"

"True. But at least you don't feel like you're showing something indecent."

Aya turned to study her friend. She smothered a giggle, "You look fine. Just peachy keen!"

"Liar."

"You asked," Aya crept to the door to check the hall. "All clear! Let's go!" She slid out the door and was gone.

"Wait for me!" Rika hissed as she too disappeared out the door to search for her friends.


	13. Mieri's Rescuer

Mieri woke to the sound of bird calls. _Now that's unusual. You don't hear many birds in Tokyo._ She opened her eyes a bit to stare at the beautiful forest canopy. _Forest?!_ She sat up in alarm. Then she remembered all that had occurred the previous night. "Oh," she whispered to herself. She glanced down at her chest and was relieved to see that there was still no sign of blood. Though her chest still hurt and she was still a bit weak, it seemed that nothing worse had come from her encounter with Tomo and Nakago.

"Nakago," she hissed the word as if it were a curse. A thought suddenly occurred to her. "Yuko!" she scrambled hastily to her feet. And took off in a random direction. After several minutes, she stopped to rest against a tree. "This is getting me nowhere. I've got to figure out how to get out of these woods!"

Suddenly, she thought she heard music drifting through the trees. It was a soothing melody both light and encouraging. Mieri straightened up. Where was it coming from? She decided that it would be a good idea to follow the sound. It might bring her to a village. Or at the very least to some human beings.

The music was very clear and grew louder as she walked. Finally, it seemed to come from the very spot she was standing. "This was a dumb idea," she muttered to herself.

"Could I be of some assistance?" a voice above her asked.

"Ahhhh!" Mieri jumped, startled. She turned her gaze skyward into a pair of green eyes. "Where did you come from?!"

A boy with a flute perched in the tree and smiled down at her. "I've been here. I was watching you run around."

Mieri gazed at the boy with a bland face. "You saw me running around here and didn't bother to help?"

"You didn't wait long enough for me to call out to you. Just kept running around in circles." He jumped down and gave a small grunt as he landed. "So I had to get you to come to me."

"That was you playing the flute?" she asked cautiously. Mieri'd had her fill of strangers that acted nice only to try to kill you in the night.

"Yep!" the boy smiled shyly at her. "I'm Amiboshi."

"I'm Mieri."

"Do you need help? Are you lost?"

"What do you think?" Mieri asked sarcastically. "Can you lead me to the nearest town? Or at least out of these woods?"

Amiboshi looked hesitant. "I was looking for someone myself. But I guess it would be okay if I took you with me. I'm headed out of these woods myself."

"Great!" Feeling much better already, Mieri smiled at Amiboshi. "Let's get going then!"

"Okay!" Amiboshi smiled back and started off in the opposite direction Mieri had been headed. With a sigh of resignation, Mieri followed after the boy.

"So. Who are you looking for?" she asked him.

"My brother. We've been separated."

"Oh! Is he younger or older?"

"Younger, I suppose," Amiboshi answered.

"Is he with your parents or something?" Mieri couldn't help but ask.

"No. Our parents died a long time ago. He's all the family I have left now. And vice versa."

"I'm sorry," Mieri apologized. "I didn't know."

Amiboshi flashed her a quick smile. "It's ok!"

"Do you know where your brother is? How old is he?" Mieri questioned.

Amiboshi looked askance at her, "Of course, I know where he is. And he'd be seventeen now."

"Oh," Mieri felt a flash of surprise. Amiboshi didn't look that old. But maybe he was only eighteen. That would explain it. Mieri followed in silence for awhile. After an hour or so, her feet began to hurt. "Are we almost there?" she asked after pausing to rub her feet.

Amiboshi looked back at her. "Yeah, just a couple more miles."

"Miles?!" Mieri grimaced.

Amiboshi laughed. "Here. I'll play my flute a little while. Maybe the music will make you forget about your aching feet!" So saying, he pressed the little flute to his mouth.

Mieri had doubted whether music was going to make her feet feel better, but surprisingly enough, when the light and carefree music flowed over her, she felt a little better. She got to her feet and followed Amiboshi once again.

As they walked and she listened to the music, instead of feeling worse, Mieri actually felt much better. So much so that she actually started whistling along to the melody. Or tried to anyway.

Amiboshi glanced back at her in surprise without missing a beat. His eyes crinkled to show her he was pleased. Without warning, he began to play an alto line.

Mieri, while unprepared, kept up the melody with surprising accuracy. At times, she ran out of breath and had to pause. But Amiboshi switched back to the melody until she could catch her breath again. It was in this way that the two merrily made their way to the first village.

"We're here!" Mieri cried out in delight. "I didn't think we'd ever make it!"

Amiboshi ended the cheerful song with the ease of a master. "Do your feet still hurt?"

Mieri laughed. "You know, they don't! You've distracted me quite nicely!"

"My pleasure," Amiboshi smiled at her with his eyes. "Now, are you hungry?"

The roaring of her stomach made any answer unnecessary.

"Very well, then," Amiboshi smiled. "I happen to know that there is a kind family always willing to share a meal with some hungry strangers."

"You've been through this area before?" Mieri asked as he led the way to the family's house.

"Well…sort of," he smiled a mysterious smile. "Yeah. You could say that."

Mieri thought him very secretive but nice, so she said nothing.

After eating, Amiboshi and Mieri started off again. "This is getting monotonous," Mieri sighed.

"Hmm?" Amiboshi looked her way.

"Well, my friend and I were walking, then I was walking by myself, and now I'm walking with you! I've done nothing but walk since I got to this stupid place!"

"Your friend?"

"Well, her name is Yuko. We were here together," Meiri's expression darkened. "That is until Nakago and Tomo showed up!"

Meiri was so focused on the ways she'd make Nakago pay, she didn't even notice that Amiboshi had stopped until she was several yards away. "Amiboshi?"

Amiboshi looked a little pale and definitely shaken. "Did you say Nakago?"

"Yeah."

"And Tomo?"

"Yeah! They tried to kill me!"

Amiboshi regarded her in a new light. "Tried? They didn't succeed?"

Mieri hit him lightly on the side of the head, "Duh! No! Otherwise, I wouldn't be here."

"How did you escape?!"

"Well…" Mieri hesitated. Would this strange boy believe what she had seen? Only one way to find out. "Nakago found me and Yuko. We were kinda lost."

"That happen often with you?" Amiboshi asked wryly.

"Not really," Mieri sniffed. "That would be my friend Aya much more than me. But anyway! He told us that he'd find a way to get us back home. But that he needed to find his 'companions' as he called 'em. When he saw Yuko was asleep and thought I was, he snuck off into the woods. I followed him and caught him talking to this Tomo guy. Strange character, let me tell you!" Mieri wrinkled her nose. "They were talking about killing me off. Seemed to think I was some kind of priestess. But they wanted Yuko cause they thought she was _their_ priestess. The priestess of…Oh! What was the name?!"

"Seiryu?" Amiboshi offered quietly.

"Yeah! That was it! So they thought she was this Seiryu no Miko. Well, about then I stepped on a stick, and they found me. Tomo used this shell-looking thing he called the Shin. I think it creates illusions," Mieri waited hesitantly for derision, but when none came continued her story, "He made an illusion that he stabbed me with some freaky feathers he has in his hair. I thought I was gonna die for sure!"

"How did you escape the illusion?"

"I remembered what my grandmother said about pressure points and things. They're supposed to break the hold the hallucination or whatever has on your mind and body."

"Very clever," Amiboshi nodded. He seemed more pensive than earlier. "So this Nakago has your friend now?"

"Yeah," Mieri grew sad. "I don't know what kind of lie they told her to make believe I wasn't there."

"It's possible Tomo created another you," Amiboshi reminded her.

"Oh, yeah."

"Well, whatever the case, we should keep moving," Amiboshi stated firmly. "When we find my brother, he'll help us. I'm sure of it!"

"Okay," Mieri smiled tremulously up at him. She was a brave girl, but this was too much! If only she knew that Aya and Rika were okay. Yuko was probably in no danger with that scumbag around her, but what about the others?

"Amiboshi?!" a voice down the road caused both Mieri and Amiboshi to halt.

"Amiboshi!" a group of people hurried to meet them.

Amiboshi seemed to recognize them and grew paler still.

"Are they friends of Nakago's?" Mieri asked worriedly.

"No," Amiboshi whispered back. "Worse."

"You'd better not be running with the Seiryu pack again!" a very loud boy with orange hair raced to the front. He held in his hands what looked like a big metal fan. "Or you're gonna roast!"

Amiboshi looked unsure and took a step back. Mieri glared at the boy before turning her attention to the others that were hurrying up beside the loud-mouth.

"Tasuki, wait!" a tall boy cried out. "Don't do anything hasty!"

"Hasty?!" Tasuki protested. "He masqueraded as Chiriko and tried to kill us all! Don't you think we should take better precautions this time?!"

Mieri was shocked and turned to Amiboshi. "You what?!"

"He made up for it," the tall one replied firmly. "He saved both mine and Miaka's lives."

"Tamahome!" Tasuki whined.

"He's okay with me, no da!" a slightly shorter man with amazingly blue hair chipped in.

"You, too, Chichiri?!" Tasuki looked around him in annoyance. "And Nuriko? What do you say about this?!"

A beautiful girl stepped out from behind the one called Tamahome. She shrugged. "I'll go with Tamakins on this one. He seems to know what he's talking about."

"He always sides with Tamahome," Tasuki grumbled as he put away the fan.

"He?" Mieri looked at the girl in confusion.

Nuriko grinned, "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm much too beautiful and graceful and smart and just plain gorgeous to be a guy! But…" she shrugged again.

"Don't push it," Tasuki growled playfully.

"What are you doing here, Amiboshi?" Tamahome asked. "And who are you traveling with?"

"This is Mieri," Amiboshi gestured at a slightly dazed Mieri. "She was lost in the woods, so I was helping her out. Now we're looking for her friends."

Mieri looked at him strangely. Wasn't he going to ask them about his brother? But his eyes begged her not to say anything, so she refrained from speaking.


	14. Choices

"We're looking for someone, too, no da!" Chichiri asserted. "Two someone's actually!"

"Yeah!" Tasuki looked angry again. "The little brats snuck off!"

"Have you seen two girls around here?" Tamahome asked them. "They'd be about your age. They aren't from around here, and at least one of them looks foreign. She has blonde hair."

Mieri understandably perked up at this. She paid a lot more attention to the conversation.

"Why did they have to run away?!" Tasuki raged.

"I think we scared them, no da," Chichiri suggested sadly. "Have you seen them?"

Amiboshi shook his head. "I haven't seen anyone like that. Mieri's the only one that I've noticed that isn't from around here." His eyes narrowed, "And I haven't seen _anyone_ with blonde hair."

Tamahome looked hard at him. Nodding he said, "If you see them, let us know. Their names were Aya and Rika."

"What?!" Mieri burst out suddenly. She had been quiet up till this point, but at the mention of her friends' names, she couldn't restrain herself. "Those are my friends!"

"You know the little twerps?" Tasuki asked.

"Twerps?" Mieri narrowed her eyes. Nobody could talk about her friends like that! Except for her… "Don't talk about them that way, you jerk! What did they ever do to you?!"

Tasuki seemed taken aback. Then he processed what she'd said. "What did they do to us? The blonde one just about broke Tamahome's nose and then followed that up with a near castration!"

_Oh_, Mieri had time to think before Tasuki was off again.

"Not to mention that at least one of them probably managed to bring back our dead friends! While I'm not complaining, it's a little CREEPY!!!"

Mieri topped out at 5'3". Tasuki had to be near six feet. But that didn't stop Mieri from getting right up in his face. "Okay, granted Aya can get a little aggressive at times. And Rika can be pretty bitchy herself! But both of them are really good people, so if you've hurt them…I'll…I'll…castrate you myself!"

Tasuki glowered up down at her. Mieri glared right back at him. Tasuki suddenly spun around in a huff. "Whatever!"

Mieri was a little stunned. She had expected another five minutes at least! But as she looked closely at his face, she noticed that it was beet red.

Chichiri sighed and stepped between Tasuki and Mieri, "Now, now, no da. Let's not start things off like this!" He turned to Mieri. "You must be Aya and Rika's friend, right?"

Mieri nodded sparing one last withering glare at Tasuki, "Yeah, we have another friend, too. Her name is Yuko, but she was basically stolen from me." She would have said more, but a slight nudge from Amiboshi halted her. She cast him a curious glance but didn't elaborate further.

"Check her, too, Chichiri," Nuriko urged. "See if she's the same as the other two!"

Mieri was a little confused but―as was becoming usual these days―didn't say anything. She watched in confusion as seemed to concentrate. "What's he doing?" she whispered at Nuriko.

"I'm checking for your life-force, na no da," Chiriko answered her. He looked slightly worried. "I can't sense hers either. I realize that I'm not as proficient in this area as the Seiryu warriors, but I should be able to pick up something, na no da!"

"So. We can probably assume that the other one, Yuko, is the same," Tamahome's brow furrowed as he tried to sort out what this meant. "Then are they really the priestesses?"

"I don't know. If they are, they're horribly powerful," Nuriko shrugged. "But we have to assume that they are. Which means that the Seiryu priestess is here somewhere as well."

All four warriors turned to Mieri. "We'll have to keep her locked up!" Tasuki suggested with just a little bit too much glee.

"Lock me up nothing!" Mieri shouted backing away. "I'd rather die!"

Chichiri smiled nervously. "I don't think that will be―"

"Grab her!" Tasuki impulsively commanded.

Before he could move, a strong wind came and toppled him over. Every time he tried to get up, a huge gust would send him flying again. It took both Tamahome's and Nuriko's own incredible strength holding him down before he could even stand. Lightning split the sky; and in the distance, thunder rolled.

Chichiri looked up at the sky in surprise. There had been no sign of any storms.

"Don't touch me," came a furious voice. Chichiri glanced at Mieri and froze. She had both hands clenched by her side. Even Amiboshi had backed away from the determination and anger in that voice. But what really caused him to take a second, third, and even fourth glance was the decidedly red aura surrounding her.

"Do you guys see that, too, no da?" he asked the rest.

Tamahome and Nuriko both nodded their heads. Tasuki turned a little pale. "It's in the shape of…a phoenix!" he gasped. It could barely be heard over the still roaring wind.

"Suzaku!" Tamahome voiced what they had all been thinking.

As one all four seishi went down on one knee. Even the rather reluctant Tasuki. The sight of them basically bowing to her caught Mieri up short. She blinked and slowly unclenched her hands. After several seconds, the wind died down; and the black clouds that had gathered disappeared. "Huh?"

"You are the Suzaku no Miko!" Tamahome explained. "We are the Suzaku seishi. We live to protect you, priestess."

"Um…I'd rather be called Mieri, if you don't mind. And you can get up any time now." Now that her anger had faded, Mieri was feeling a little nervous. Her? A priestess? Impossible!

"We need you, na no da!" Chichiri added helpfully. "To summon Suzaku once again!"

"Why?" Mieri asked. "Shouldn't there be someone else?"

Surprisingly, Tasuki stepped forward. Though he stared at the ground, he did say, "No. It has to be you. You were chosen by Suzaku for us to protect." He looked up into her face, "And I for one will protect you with my very life."

Mieri's face burned. Tasuki was a very handsome fellow; and despite their earlier argument, totally attractive. "Uh…thanks! So…what does a priestess have to do again?"

"We already have all seven warriors," Nuriko reminded everyone. "So what are we supposed to need Suzaku for again? What evil is there?"

"Seiryu evil," Amiboshi spoke up suddenly. "If you were brought back, doesn't it stand to reason that the Seiryu seven were also brought back?"

Chichiri nodded solemnly, "Indeed, no da. But first, we need to get the priestess back to the palace."

Mieri looked down at her state of dress and flushed, "I guess a few days on the road really can take it out of a girl. A bath would be appreciated."

"Then let's go, no da!" Chichiri took off the straw hat he'd been wearing. "It'll be quicker this way, no da."

Mieri looked at everyone in confusion. Tamahome walked up to Chichiri and stepped _into_ the hat! Tasuki smiled briefly at her before doing the same. Nuriko took time to actually wink before disappearing into the shockingly empty hat.

At Chichiri's gesture, Mieri too cautiously stepped into the hat. Chichiri glanced at Amiboshi. "Are you coming?"

Amiboshi shook his head. "I've got to find my brother. Maybe this time I can convince him to stay out of this fight."

Chichiri nodded. "I hope you do, na no da. For both of your sakes." With that he stepped into his own hat. The hat was lifted on a strange wind and floated swiftly in the direction of Eiyo, the capital of Konan.

Amiboshi watched the hat until it was just a speck in the sky. With only a small sigh, he cast his senses out again to check for his brother. With a leap of his heart, he noted that the life-force was stronger. And that always meant nearer. He set his footsteps in the direction of Kutou and his brother.

As he walked, Amiboshi thought of Chichiri's words. _So they really don't want to fight. I guess that's good for me and Suboshi. But what are the priestesses here for? And everyone coming back from the dead…Now that's just creepy._ The flash of an extremely familiar life-force brought Amiboshi up short. _Suboshi?!_ He hurried in the direction he'd felt it coming. _It's closer than I thought!_

Ahead of him lay the Kutou border. He and Mieri had only been on Konan land for a short time. And on the other side of the border…"Suboshi!" he cried.

The other figure looked up from where he was studying the sky. "Amiboshi?"

Amiboshi tore across the border and finally reached his brother. "Suboshi! You're okay!"

Suboshi grinned, "Of course I am. How could you doubt me?"

Amiboshi lost his gleeful expression. "Why? Why did you feed me the forgetfulness broth?"

Suboshi had the decency to blush. "I-I couldn't forget until I had avenged Lady Yui. I thought you would be better off without me."

"You thought I would be better off without you?" Amiboshi asked quietly. "Even when I didn't remember you, the moment you died I cried. I cried for a week straight. And I didn't know what for! Our bond is too strong to be so easily forgotten, Suboshi!"

Amiboshi was silent. "You died, didn't you?"

"Yes!" Suboshi's features twisted in anger. "Tamahome! He killed me! And with my own Ryuseisui!" Suboshi frowned in thought. "What's happening anyway?!"

Amiboshi shrugged, "I don't know. There are four new priestesses now. I saw some of the Suzaku Seven. They seem to have all of their warriors gathered. They've just found their priestess. They believe that everything is being brought back."

"All of them?!" Suboshi burst out. "They're alive again? After all that hard work!"

"Suboshi!" Amiboshi admonished. "Let's stay out of this one! You don't have to fight! Yui isn't here anymore. It's someone else."

Suboshi stood there in silence next to his brother. "No. I have to fight. The Suzaku Seven are my enemies. I will destroy them." He looked up, "You say that everything has been reset? That means _everyone_ is alive. Even Nakago…"

"Please, don't!" Amiboshi begged. "Don't do this to us!"

"You don't have to come, Amiboshi," Suboshi gazed at him sadly. "You can stay behind in your village again. I won't let any harm come to it."

"You know I won't leave you behind again," Amiboshi snapped.

"Then let's go," Suboshi started out further into Kutou territory. "Besides…can't you feel the Seiryu no Miko's life-force calling to you?"

Indeed he did. Amiboshi could feel it from the beginning. He just hadn't known the other priestesses were here. As much as he wanted to resist, Amiboshi could not ignore both the calling and his brother.

With one last look behind him, Amiboshi followed.

Two identical figures made their way down the road into Kutou. The twin brothers who had long been separated by memory and death now walked the road of their choosing together.


	15. The White Tiger

Farther away from both Konan and Kutou, an old couple lived in relative peace in the land of Sairou. Well, almost in peace.

"Tokaki!" a heavily endowed old woman yelled as she searched the house for her husband.

"Coming, Subaru!" a strong voice called back. Her husband Tokaki was two years older than her but still looked dashingly handsome in his old age. "Yes?"

"Something is happening!" Subaru exclaimed. "I can sense something working against my powers!"

"Working against?" Tokaki was suddenly alert. "What do you mean?"

"Something is trying to alter my modifications on our bodies!" Subaru frowned in concentration. "I-I can't quite place it, but it seems familiar."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Since last night. It woke me from my sleep, but I thought I was imagining things. Now I'm positive it's an outside force."

"What is it attempting to do?"

"I'm not sure, but I can't hold out on it for long. It's very strong."

"How much longer can you hold it?" Tokaki felt a flash of power flood through his entire body. He blinked.

A young voice answered him, "Um…not long." A very much younger Subaru smiled back at him through steel gray eyes. Their bodies had been transported back in time to their prime! "This is a surprise."

Tokaki stared at his beautiful wife and her voluptuous figure. "A good surprise though." Tokaki himself was young again as well. His muscles had once again regained the vigor of youth. He flexed his arms to test them. "No. They're real. It's no illusion."

Subaru scoffed, "I think I could tell an illusion of this sort! You're looking devilishly handsome as usual."

Tokaki ran fingers through his own white hair. Though his hair was white as Subaru's, his eyes were a tawny golden-brown. "Most people wouldn't be able to tell from a distant. We did have white hair when we were younger as well. How old are we now?"

Subaru screwed her pretty face in thought. "From what I can tell, I'm seventeen. And that would make you nineteen."

"Perfect!" Tokaki grinned. "I can't wait till the girls see me now!"

"Tokaki!" Subaru warned, eyes narrowed.

He smiled a pirate's smile, "At least they'll always come second to you, dear."

"Oh, you!" she slapped him playfully on the arm.

"But seriously," Tokaki lost his grin. "Who did this to us? I'm not complaining but…"

Subaru nodded. "I know what you mean. The power source was vaguely familiar, but I didn't recognize the actual life-force."

Tokaki shrugged. "Nothing much we can do about it now. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts," his eyes glinted as he ran his gaze up and down Subaru's form.

"Be nice!" Subaru hissed playfully.

"Oh, I intend to be―" a knocking at the door interrupted the rest of Tokaki's intentions. Probably for the better.

"Now who could that be?" Subaru moved towards the door.

Tokaki stayed in the room, thinking on the implications and not liking some of them. Just as he was getting used to his much younger body again, he heard a shriek. Certain that Subaru's mysterious 'power' had manifested itself to attack, Tokaki rushed to the door. "Subaru! Are you o―" His mouth fell open in shock.

There in the doorway stood a gentle looking young man who looked to be somewhere around the age twenty. His dark brown hair fell to midway down his back, blue eyes twinkled at them both. "Hello."

"TATARA?!" Subaru and Tokaki both exclaimed upon recovering from their shock.

"What are you doing here? Alive?" Subaru asked frantically.

Tatara smiled patiently, "Well, since I have returned so recently from the departed, I am in a position to know a bit more about our situation than you two. How have you been, by the way?"

"Good," Tokaki grinned to Subaru's obvious disgust. "We were gettin' along pretty good; but if we get to stay this way forever; I think my partying days are back in full swing!"

"Tokaki!" Subaru smiled tightly at him. Her tone was one of exasperation and a barely controlled temper. "There are more important questions that need to be answered."

"Like what the hell you're doing alive?" Tokaki asked insolently.

"Yes. In addition to other things," Subaru (as usual) mostly ignored her errant husband's antics. He was quite immature even with more than a century's worth of experience. "What did you mean when you said 'the situation'?"  
"I meant that we have a new priestess. It was she who brought back all of the seishi and restored your vigor and health with no help from you, Subaru," he sketched a bow.

"How is this possible?" Tokaki asked, seriously for once. "What power does this new priestess posses that would enable her to do all of that?"

"Apparently, she is beloved enough by our god Byakko that when she begged him to return to her the seishi she could not meet due to death and distance…he heeded her. Without a proper summoning, Byakko granted this priestess what boils down to a wish."

Subaru's eyes widened. "She has the ability to petition the gods?!"

"It seems to be a secondary power and one that is not used often or for frivolous reasons. I doubt she is aware she possesses it or her main ability."

"What would that be?" Tokaki inquired.

"I'm not sure," Tatara shook his head. "No one is quite sure unless it is Byakko himself. And if he knows, he is enjoying watching us scrambling to figure it out before she kills someone unknowingly."

"When you said all the seishi…" Subaru paused, "Did you mean all the _Byakko_ seishi?"

"No," Tatara's face was grave indeed. "I mean _all_ the seishi. Byakko, Genbu, Suzaku…Seiryu."

"That sucks!" Tokaki burst out. "Tamahome and the others strove so hard to defeat those bastards!"

"Well, no matter because they are back." Subaru bustled back into the area used as a kitchen of types in a way that did not fit her teenaged body. "We'll be going to find our priestess of course. I can't wait to see the others again!" her eyes shown. "We have so much to talk of!"

"First, we need to find this priestess," Tatara suggested. "She could be in grave danger. Whatever the reason, the seishi have been called back to this world. And if that reason should find our priestess first…"

"Where is she?" Tokaki asked.

"Somewhere in Konan at the moment. But she and another priestess are traveling away from its capital in Eiyo. They've managed to nearly reach the border."

"Well, then," Tokaki rubbed his hands together. "I guess it's time for me to go rescue two hopefully adorable young girls. If you'll excuse me."

"Oh, no you don't!" Subaru grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. "I may look young but I haven't spent over a hundred years with you for nothing! What is it you intend to do exactly?"

Tokaki strove to look innocent. "Nothing."

"Bull," Subaru accused harshly. "You were going to teleport over there and seduce the priestess!"

"Not ours," Tokaki tried.

"_A_ priestess!" Subaru sputtered. "Is there no end to your perversity?!"

Tokaki glared. "You can trust me with our own priestess!"

"What about the other?" Subaru countered.

"I won't mess with her," Tokaki grudgingly gave his promise. "But only if you'll allow me one little feel…" his hand strayed to her dipping neckline. SMACK! The raw imprint of a hand on his face gave Tokaki his answer.

"Get going, Tokaki!" Subaru motioned for the door.

With one last mocking bow, Tokaki used his power of teleportation to find the Byakko no Miko.

"Whatever will I do with him?" Subaru shook her head.

"What you always do," Tatara shrugged. "Keep him in check."


	16. Kidnapped

"Come on, Rika!" Aya hurried her friend along. "We haven't been gone but for like…a few hours!"

Rika glared, "Alright, Miss Jock! You can slow down or have me beat you over the head! That ought to slow you down enough!"

Aya shrugged. "I'm tired, too. But I've learned to ignore it. You have to run more laps if you complain."

"Well, the only laps I do are if I'm late; so slow your butt down!"

"Yes, grandmother," Aya hunched over and moved slowly as with a cane. "I'm a comin'!" she wheezed. "Jus' slow your young tail down!"

Rika booted her in the butt watching Aya laugh as she fell over. "We're stopping. And that's final! I'm tired; I'm cranky, and you're making fun of me!" To emphasize her point, she plopped down on the ground.

Aya eyed her dubiously. "Since I doubt a rampaging herd of elephants could move you; I'll rest, too." She plopped on the ground as well. Both girls sat under the shade of a fairly large tree. What exact type it was, neither was sure. But it provided a cool place to rest, and that was good enough for them."

"So," Rika panted. "How exactly are we supposed to find Yuko and Mieri again?"

"It's like this see," Aya leaned forward in a confidential manner, "We'll say that we're all related. Doesn't really matter how. In this day and time everyone is bound to be related some kind of way. Then, we'll simply ask around. Someone's got to have seen them by now! This is the second day we've been here."

"Great plan," Rika rolled her eyes. "Why not just ask if anyone's seen a purple elephant while we're at it?! How are we supposed to explain the clothes?"

"I told you! We'll say we're performers. Of course we can't perform without our other two…sisters! So no one can make us perform!"

"Your random logic manages to amaze and confound me every time."

"Hush! It's a great plan!"

Rika ignored the ditzy blonde and focused on up ahead, "Look! A village!"

"Yes!" Aya jumped up enthusiastically. "Let's go!"

"Do we have to?" Rika groaned.

"Yep! Now get that lazy bum in gear! Hup! Two! Hup! Two!" Aya marched in place.

With a dramatic sigh, Rika hauled herself to her feet. "Very well, let's go."

"It's about time!" Aya laughed and darted down the road a few yards. "Come on!" She waved enthusiastically over her head at Rika. "We're never going to find them like this!"

Catching Aya's spirit, Rika raced after her friend. The two of them laughed and ran until they had reached the town. Once there, they slowed their pace to a much more sedate walk. "Now what?" Rika hissed at Aya after the fifth person who'd stopped and stared.

Aya rolled her eyes. "We ask around." So saying she walked up to a woman who appeared to be a farmer's wife. "Excuse me, but we're looking for our sisters. You haven't seen them by any chance have you?"

The woman stared hard at Rika and Aya. "Sisters you say? You two are related then?"

Aya smiled her most innocent smile, "Yes, ma'am. We're all half-sisters. Our father…got around. He died a few years ago, and we had to take care of ourselves. Now we're looking for our other two sisters. They were supposed to go to a town near our home but never returned."

The woman's face immediately became sympathetic. "You poor dears! I'm sorry, but I haven't seen your sisters at all. There've only been two strangers this way recently. A young boy and young girl. They were about your age," the woman added hopefully.

Rika shook her head, "No, our sisters would never separate. And they don't know many people in the area, so I doubt they'd be traveling with a boy."

The woman nodded, her eyes revealing her pity. "I'm terribly sorry. Would you like to stay for the night? It might help to get a good night's rest."

"No, thank you," Aya shook her head but smiled brightly. "We know they're somewhere close by and really don't want to stop."

"I see," the woman waved as she turned away. "Good luck in finding your sisters! I'll spread the word to be on the lookout for them!"

"Thank you!" Rika called out to her before she disappeared behind a building.

"Good job!" Aya patted Rika forcefully on the back. "Saying they were new to the area was a stroke of brilliance. I always knew you were a pro at lying."

"You," she glared, "have not a shameful bone in your body. I think you could lie to a saint and not feel sorry!"

Aya shrugged, "If the saint deserved or needed it, then no. I wouldn't feel sorry. But if they didn't…I probably still wouldn't feel sorry because I never lie except for in two instances: I want something or I'm in trouble and need to get out of it."

Rika slapped her lightly on the arm. "You're so bad!"

"No, just incredibly cynical."

"Let's just go before I let you have it!" Rika pushed her friend on down the street. The path continued on into what few villagers they'd talked to said was Kutou land. "It was decidedly different from Konan. Almost at once you could see a level of poverty that was just not present in Konan.

"I don't wanna!" Aya playfully whined. "It looks creepy!"

"Your face is going to look creepy after I finish with it if you don't hurry up!" Rika growled back.

"Ooh! Testy!"

"GO!"

Laughing so hard she could barely walk, Aya scrambled down the road and past the once mighty border. "Catch me if you can!"

With a squeal that was half rage, half laughter, Rika followed. They were blissfully unaware that even as they laughed and shouted and played, they were being watched. The most that could be said of knowledge of their unseen watcher was the 'creepy' feeling Aya had alluded to. For in truth, she was truly more than apprehensive of the land and road before them. But Aya had always been very close to nature and had an almost animalistic sense of what was going on around her. For her friend's sake, she put aside these feelings and continued on.

Yet a watcher they did have; once they had gone a far enough distance down the road, Tokaki stepped out from behind the trees. "Yes!" he grinned happily. "They're cute!" He padded after the two girls carefully keeping out of sight. Never beyond earshot, he tried to learn more about the priestesses.

"How can you say that about me?!" Aya demanded. "I would never do something so...so…underhanded!"

"Ha!" Rika choked on her laughter. "That's such a lie! But I guess I can't blame you. I was right behind you all the way."

"See?!" Aya grinned in triumph. "You're just as bad!"

"But still!" Rika argued. "You instigated!"

Tokaki cocked his head to one side in amusement. What fun these two could be! _I wonder how mad Subaru would be if I broke my promise just this one time…_ An image of her in full rage flickered across his mind. _No. Better not._ The conversation was heating up again between the two priestesses, so he pushed Subaru and her formidable anger out of his mind.

"I think you're wrong!" Aya sniffed. "I'm never perverted."

Rika pretended to cower on the ground. "God, just remember that I am not the one who lied so abominably! Do not cast your great flash of lightning on me, a poor victim of circumstance!"

Aya glared down disdainfully. "I am merely confident of what I want in a man. I won't tolerate being told what to do!"

"Just admit it! You're a domina―"

"DON'T!!" Aya interrupted throwing up her hands. "Say the 'D' word! I hate it when people call me that!"

"Because you don't want your true nature to shine through for the world to see!" Rika laughed.

Tokaki's ears perked up at this. _Little frisky, huh? I can help you with that, my dear!_ He snickered quietly.

"Rika?"

"Hm?"

"Can you stop just one minute? I'll be right back," Aya faded into the woods around her.

Rika sighed. "I hate it when she does that. She always makes me feel…like I'm being watched without realizing it."

Tokaki marveled at this chance to get one of the priestesses alone. Now he could simply walk up and take her. To find out if she was Byakko's priestess of course. Nothing else.

"And who exactly are you?" a voice behind him asked.

Tokaki stiffened and between one breath and the next had teleported behind the stranger. With a quick twist, he had the person in a tight grip. "Who are you?!" he hissed in their ear.

The stranger didn't answer, only tensed in his arms. That's when Tokaki realized that he was holding a girl. A very…developed girl. "If you don't mind, you're going to ensure I'll never breastfeed," the girl wheezed angrily.

Tokaki let go with a flourish and a quick brush across her breasts to console him for Subaru's refusal. SMACK! And this girl's answer was delivered the same way. Now Tokaki was nursing a bruised ego _and_ cheek. "How did you sneak up on me?" he finally asked.

"Hold on," the girl admonished. "Rika! Come here! I've caught a peeping tom!"

The other priestess, Rika, burst through the brush. "Is that why you left so suddenly? Knew it had to be something."

"Ok," the other girl turned to him. "You may explain."

"I…uh…"

Rika cocked her head to the side, "We're waiting."

Tokaki straightened. "I have been sent to look for the Byakko no Miko. We heard the priestesses were in this area."

"What would you do with the priestess once you found her?" Rika asked quickly sensing Aya's growing anger.

"Take her with me, of course, to find the other Byakko seishi," Tokaki smiled charmingly.

But apparently not charmingly enough because Aya was still angry. "Another one?!" she raged. "Another asshole who wants to find and take the 'priestess'?! Which one were you? Byakko? Well, we won't do it!" Aya declared. "We refuse to come!"

Tokaki frowned. "But you can't! We need to find the other warriors and find out why we've all been brought back. Plus, I need to find out if you are our priestess and what power you have. You have to come with me!"

Aya's blue eyes practically emitted sparks. "The hell we do! We are not priestesses. We do not have any damn powers. And we are _not_ coming with you!"

Rika firmly nodded in agreement. "I think we would notice if we had any powers."

Tokaki shook his head. He was beginning to become a little angry himself. "Not if you had no idea how to use them! Pay attention! Has anything unusual happened when you've gotten emotional? Or stressed? Or anything?"

Aya gazed coldly at the boy. "No. No, not really. But I am getting very angry."

Rika's eyes widened a bit and she smiled nervously. "You really should leave us alone. We're tired of all of this. We just want to go home."

Tokaki scowled. "Stupid girl! If you can summon Byakko, you can wish to go home! Don't you know that?"

"Wish?" Rika jabbed Aya in the side with an elbow. "We get wishes?"

Tokaki nodded. "Three to be exact. One would of course be for Sairou to have peace and prosperity."

"But the other two could be whatever we wanted," Aya finished. As was typical of her, she had gotten over her anger with an amazing speed. While her temper was fierce, it usually didn't last for very long. "So we could wish to find Yuko and Mieri."

"And then we could wish to be sent home!" Rika finished. Her eyes were bright with excitement. "That's perfect!"

Aya rounded on Tokaki. "Okay, little man. What is it we have to do?"

Tokaki blanched. "I-I really don't know. I'll have to take you with me to see Subaru and Tatara. They'll probably know what to do." He paused. "But I'm not sure which one of you is Byakko's priestess."

"Oh," Aya looked at Rika. "Well, it'll most likely be her. I don't think I'd be nominated for any religious awards."

Rika glared. "Oh, and like I would?!"

Aya smiled widely. "No, but I don't want to do it."

"That's not fair!"

Tokaki considered each girl carefully. Then, with what some would say instinct and others dumb luck, he waltzed over to Aya. "You're cute. Let's go." Without further ado, he picked up the surprised teen and threw her over his shoulder. Tokaki winked at Rika, "See ya later!"

Rika saw Aya's mouth form a round 'O' and heard the very beginnings of a high pitch squeal before Tokaki was gone, teleported back to his home and Subaru.

Rika stood stock still for a moment. She glanced around at her surroundings; the woods that seemed to close in around her and shut out all light, the flashing of eyes belonging to hidden beasts with who-knew-what intentions. She stared again at the place where Tokaki and Aya had last stood. "Oh, shit…"


	17. Aya's Decision

Hiya! It's me again! How are ya'll liking the story so far? Please say good….I've gotten a fair number of reviews from ya'll, and I must say that I'm quite pleased! Thanks especially to Silver Pain and RenaeAurora. They have been faithful through it all! Just remember that it's okay to give constructive criticism. It's good for me!

"Damn you to hell! I said let me go!" Aya thrashed in Tokaki's arms. Her eyes were screwed shut and she beat his back with all the force of an enraged female.

"Ow!" Tokaki shot her a dirty look over his shoulder. "Stop that! We're here!"

Aya's eyes popped open and within seconds she had wriggled her way out of his grasp. "Where the hell is 'here' anyway?!"

Tokaki assumed an arrogant grin, "My home, of course."

Forest fires raging out of control could be no worse than the heat of Aya's gaze. "And what exactly are we doing here?" she asked sweetly.

Tokakinot knowing the proper signals for full Aya-ragecontinued blithely on. "We're here to let you meet Subarushe's my wifeand Tatara. They're warriors of Byakko, too, and"

"Shut. Up," Aya smiled sweetlyand dangerouslyin a calm tone of voice. "I'm sick of you. I'm sick of these stupid warriors. But most of all I'm sick of being in this stupid world. I want to go home where I can take a hot shower without having to wait three hours for the water to heat up. I want to be able to read a book that I don't have to unroll. I want to be able to wear clothing that no one sewed by hand." Aya was truly warming up to her subject now and, as she did, her voice began to gain volume. "I want to be able to eat food that hasn't been killed yesterday! I want to be able to sleep in a bed that doesn't contain any animal anatomy! And BY GOD I want to be able to get on the internet and chat until I can't stay up any more and fall asleep knowing I'm going to fail everything in school tomorrow because of it! And I've only been here TWO FRIKIN' DAYS!!!" Aya realized she was shouting and stopped still glaring fiercely if panting a bit.

Tokaki stood staring dumbly at her. "Uh…"

"Oh, Tokaki, hush!" The brisk feminine voice brooked no opposition. "What have you done to the poor dear?"

Aya started and glanced around her until she found the source of the voice. "Who are you?"

The beautiful woman blinked in surprise, "Me? Why, I'm Subaru, dearie. I'm Tokaki's wife."

Something made Aya suspicious of Subaru. Her figure and voice were both young enough for Aya to safely guess that this woman was her age. But like Tokaki, she had a wealth of snow white hair. And unlike Tokaki, she had a manner of speaking that reminded Aya of her grandmother. "How old did you say you were?" she asked including Tokaki in on the question.

"Physically or mentally, dear?" Subaru asked with a wistful smile.

"Um…both?" Aya asked hesitantly.

"Physically: I'm seventeen, and the idiot there is nineteen. Mentally: I'm 116, and he's 118."

Jaw dropping, Aya gaped at one then the other. "You've got ta be shittin' me!"

Tokaki let out a snort. "Not quite."

Subaru smiled with sympathy. "I know it's a bit much to believe…"

"A―a bit much?!" Aya gasped then paused, "Well, I guess it's no weirder than coming here in the first place…"

"That's the spirit!" Subaru smiled cheerfully. "Now, Priestess, there's one more―"

"Wait!" Aya snapped. "We still haven't quite covered the whole priestess bit. Now who in the world said that _I_ had to be the priestess?!"

Subaru appeared surprised. "Didn't Tokaki tell you?"

"Tell me what?!" Aya threw up her hands in exasperation.

Subaru turned to Tokaki with a frown. "How in the world did you get her to come with you without explaining things properly?!"

"No! The only thing he told me was something about three wishes. In fact, he kidnapped me!" Aya smirked with all the satisfaction of one child telling on another.

"Tokaki!" Subaru exclaimed. "How _could_ you?!"

Tokaki shrugged and grinned ruefully. "She was being uncooperative. I had to get her somehow. And her friend didn't want to go either!"

"That's right!" Aya gasped eyes wide. "Where is Rika?! What did you do with her?!" she ran to Tokaki and began shaking him.

"Chill out!" Tokaki forced through gritted teeth. "She's where we left her unless she took it upon herself to move!"

Aya paused. "You left her in the woods all by herself?! You _idiot_!!!" The shaking resumed with a passion. "You have the brains of a peanut!"

"I agree!" Subaru cried getting in on the lecture/torture session. "What in the world made you decide to leave the other one?!"

Tokaki had by this time wrestled himself from Aya's grip. He stood at a distance from the other two straightening his clothing. "I couldn't decide which one was ours so I picked one."

"DO _WHAT_?!?!" Subaru erupted. "You imbecile!! Thank goodness that the gods keep watch over fools! You somehow managed to choose the right priestess. Can't you feel the aura of power radiating from her? Now that she's angry, it almost overflows the senses!"

Tokaki stopped and seemed to stare in space, "Hey! You're right! I can feel it! Wow! It's really strong, too! That means…" He glanced at an enraged Aya.

Aya stood there with her hands clenched at her sides. "How could you do this?! How could you even think you had the right?!"

"Please understand, Priestess," Subaru pleaded. "You were all brought here for a reason, and we need to gather our warriors to fight that reason."

"You don't even know what's the matter?!" Aya burst in disbelief.

"Unfortunately, no," a new voice informed her. "We only know that a great darkness gathers on the horizon."

"Tatara!" Subaru exclaimed the name with relief.

Aya spun around to face the third member of this strange little party. "Tatara? Is that your name?"

The gentle looking young man smiled, "Yes, and you are Aya, correct?"

Aya could only nod dumbly. Tokaki was all muscles and sex drive. Tatara was different. He had a gentle feel about him that immediately put Aya at ease. It didn't hurt that he was sexy as hell, either. She stifled a giggle.

"We desperately need the help of the Priestesses, Aya," Tatara said gravely. "The warriors are here only to protect the Priestesses in their quest to summon the gods. Without you we are…less than nothing. You must understand that only you can bring out the full powers of the Byakko Seven and help us defeat this evil. Please." Tatara went to his knee directly in front of a very flustered Aya followed swiftly by Subaru and Tokaki. "Won't you help us?"

Aya spent a few moments in an uncomfortable silence. "Oh, dammit! I can't exactly say no when you ask like that, can I?" A weak smile crossed her face.

Subaru was all smiles. "Wonderful! I can't wait till we have assembled all the warriors once more!"

Tatara smiled softly. "Thank you, Priestess of Byakko. We are indebted to you."

Aya waved him off, "Nah! You guys are about to spend all your time protecting me, right? You have no idea what you're getting yourselves into!" She flashed him a wicked grin.

Tokaki let out a whoop, "All right! Traveling the country! Searching for adventure! And bedding every pretty girl on the way! What could be better?!" Subaru smacked him.

Aya sighed and rubbed her temples, "On second thought, what am _I_ getting _myself_ into..."


	18. Rika's Predicament

GAH!!!! Ya'll are catching up! T-T See it was really easy to update since I'd already written it on my computer. Now ya'll are right there with me. ;; So don't get TOO mad if it takes a bit longer sometimes….it's just me being really slow. Thanks so much for all of you who reviewed. I appreciate the help. huggles Silver Pain You're so sweet! Thank you so much! Anyways….HAHAHAHA!!!!! Just this one last thing! I'm going to college for FREE!!! Go me! I got a full scholarship to William Carey College in Hattiesburg. AND I get to play softball there too! sigh Life could not get better…..unless of course schooling became obsolete. Bye then!

Rika admitted to herself finally that Aya and that strange man were not coming back. Or at least not anytime in the near future. And right now she needed to get out of these woods. "Alright, girl," she mumbled to herself, "You need to find somewhere to go. You can't go back to that town. They'll wonder where Aya is. Then you'll explain, and they'll throw you in an insane asylum assuming such things exist in these days." Running fingers through her hair, she sighed. "So the only choice is ahead. Great."

Walking down the dimly lit path, it took Rika a while to realize that the sun had gone down. "Great!" she cursed under her breath. "I guess it just couldn't get any worse, could it?!" Thunder rolled in the distance. Rika glared up at the sky. "Duh, Rika! You're in a book! Of course the most ironic _damn_ thing would happen!!" Rain pored down through the canopy, and within minutes she was soaked to her skin and freezing. "I'm losing my mind." She continued walking down the path. After a moment, she sighed. "I hope Aya's okay. I wonder where that freak took her? Where am _I_ anyway?" Rika looked around her in annoyance. "What did that innkeeper say? Kutou? I think that was it. So I'm in Kutou. Okay. Now what?"

"Excuse me, miss; but are you in need of assistance?" a friendly voice asked from behind her.

"Hm?" Rika turned to see a smiling man on a cart pulled by the _ugliest_ donkey she'd ever seen. "Oh! Hello."

"Do you need any help?" the man asked again. "You seem to be a bit out of place." He was tall and heavily muscled, looking like a farmer. His medium length hair was a dusty brown as was his eyes.

Rika smiled, "Actually, yes. I do need a bit of help. I'm lost, and I'm not sure where to go. All I know is that I'm in Kutou."

The man smiled back, "Oh, but not by much, miss. You're only in it by a mile or so. Konan's this way where I'm heading."

"Yes, I know," Rika nodded. "By the way…you don't know anyone who can…teleport do you?"

"Teleport?" the man looked puzzled.

"Yeah, you know, appear in one place then disappear only to reappear in another place?" The man gave her a blank stare. "Ookaay. I'm guessing not. That's okay. Any idea how to get me out of these woods?"

"Now that I can do!" the man laughed. "Hop aboard! I'll have you to the next town before you know it!"

"Deal!" Rika agreed swinging into the wagon in one fluid motion. "And if you happen to see a girl with blonde hair, let me know. She's my…sister, and I need to find her."

"Sure thing, miss," the man winked at her. "And if she's as pretty as you, I'll be on the lookout for her without rest!"

"Thanks!" Rika laughed out loud.

"Now where exactly am I supposed to take you?" the young man asked with a grin. "Do I just keep driving until you say stop?"

Rika nodded, "That'll work! I'm not sure where that freak took Aya, so just keep driving until you reach your destination. You are headed to a town, right?"

The man nodded. "Yes, it's only a few days ride from here, in fact. From there I'm on to Hokkan. I've got a business set up there that needs to be checked on."

"What kind of business?"

"Oh, you wouldn't be interested in the details I'm sure," the man laughed. "It's all very technical. But I will tell you that I'm in the entertainment business."

"Cool!" Rika enthused. "I love to sing!"

"Do you now?" the man sized her up. "You'd better be careful or I might just kidnap you for my business!"

Rika laughed. "Oh, please don't! I have to find Aya first!"

"Just warning you!" he countered jovially. "I'm Oboro, by the way."

"I'm Rika."

"Very pleased to meet you, Rika," Oboro grinned.

Rika found herself enjoying the time in the wagon seat. The man was a good conversationalist and only his hideous beast marred the beautiful countryside. In no time at all, the town approached upon the horizon. By the time they reached the town, it was late at night. Rika glanced at her watch. It flashed 10:37 pm. "Wow, it's late!" Rika exclaimed to herself.

"What are you looking at?" he asked leaning over. "That's an odd piece of jewelry."

"Oh…uh—it's a family heirloom."

"Well, this is where I leave you, I suppose," Oboro commented swinging off the wagon to stroke his beast's cheek. "Do you have a place to spend the night here?"

Rika grimaced as she also swung down. Three days of sitting on a hard bench will do that to you. "Not really. I don't know many people around here."

"Well…I know it's rather presumptuous of me but…I know a house you could at least spend the night in. The guy and his wife are old friends of mine, and they would be more than happy to have you stay with them."

"I don't know…" Rika hesitated. But memories of the soft bed in the palace overcame her caution. "But okay! Can you take me there?"

"Sure thing! If you'll wait for me to unload my belongings, I'll be right there."

"Of course!" Rika nodded happy to have a roof over her head for the night. It only took a moment for Oboro to take care of that ugly donkey. In a few minutes, Rika could see Oboro grinning as he strode across the small clearing in front of the town stable.

"You ready for a good night's sleep?" Oboro called.

Rika glanced around giggling, "Yes; but if we aren't quiet, the townspeople are gonna string us up!"

"Too true," Oboro agreed with a mock-fearful look. "Then we'd better hurry to my friends' house."

"Won't they mind being woken up?" Rika asked with a little worried frown.

"Only until they see you," Oboro promised. "They'll love you. You'll see!"

Rika smiled hesitantly, still unsure of her welcome despite Oboro's assurances. "Ok."

It turned out that Oboro's friends lived on the outskirts of the town. Finally, though the first glimpses of the house appeared through the night. "Well, here we are," Oboro turned to her for the first time since they'd begun walking. Stay right here for a minute while I go wake them up." He winked at her.

Rika flushed and stood nervously while Oboro beat on the door. In only a few seconds, lights appeared in one of the windows. Rika followed the progress of the candle as it made its way to the front door. Rika couldn't see clearly the man who opened the door as she was quite a distance from the house, but he was much smaller than Oboro. He glanced quickly over at Rika. She waved a bit uncertainly. Oboro turned and motioned her over. She walked slowly over to the two men.

"Rika, this is Kagami," Oboro motioned to the smaller man standing beside him.

"Pleased ta meet ya," the man grinned.

Rika smiled back uncertainly. This was the man she was supposed to stay with? He seemed…well…rougher than she had imagined.

"Come on, and I'll show ya where ya're supposed ta stay," Kagami motioned for her to follow.  
After a rather shaky smile of thanks to Oboro, Rika followed Kagami inside. His house was not overly large, but it far outshone the others in the village. While their houses consisted of thatch and what seemed to be dirt floors, Kagami's house was wooden and even had a wooden floor. Rika was no expert on Ancient China, but she was pretty sure that this was a sign of significant wealth.

"What do you do for a living, Kagami?" Rika asked, sincerely interested.

He glanced back at her for a moment before motioning her towards the back of the house. "I'm a peddler of a sorts."

"Oh, really? What do you sell?" Rika continued following Kagami eager to see her room. If it was as nice as the rest of the house, sleeping here might not be so traumatic an experience.

"This is yer room," Kagami beckoned for her to enter. The room itself was not outstanding. The bed was simply a pallet on the floor with a small space for her to set her clothes. However, the curtain that extended around her sleeping space was very nice. It gave her an added bit of privacy.

Rika turned back to Kagami from her study of the room, "Thank you very much, Kagami. I really appreciate this."

Kagami grinned, "Oh, it's nothin' much. I get visitors a lot around here. I suppose Oboro didn't feed ya?"

Rika suddenly realized that she hadn't eaten in a long time. Since yesterday, as a matter of fact. Her stomach growled its disapproval at the state of affairs. She looked up grinning sheepishly. "No, he didn't."

"Come on then. Can't have ya starvin' while ya're here. Just stay right here. I'll bring ya somethin' ta eat."

Rika waited until Kagami was completely out of the room before sinking to the 'bed' on the floor. "Well, this is just great. I'm sleeping in a stranger's house. I have no idea where Aya is, and I don't think he's a peddler." Rika surveyed the room with critical eyes. She was a decent student in school when Yuko wasn't getting her into trouble. She especially loved learning about everyday life of people in history. "Well….here's your chance, girl," Rika told herself.

"Here ya go!" Kagami bustled back into the room with a bowl. "This here soup should have you feelin good in no time!"

"But…I'm not feeling bad…" Rika murmered ineffectually. Kagami either didn't hear or chose not to. He took a quick look around the room, nodded to himself, and left as fast as he'd come.

"Okay…." Rika took a moment to study her soup. It _looked_ edible. Rika took a tentative bite. She only barely avoided spitting it out. "Got to eat….got to eat….got to eat…." She used this as a chant while staring down suspiciously at her food.

Eventually, she finished the entire bowl. "I am _so_ not asking what went in this." As she sat there on her pallet, Rika felt a little….dizzy. Her vision swam for a minute. "Oh…" Rika passed out on the floor with an audible thump.

Kagami heard the thump and signaled Oboro, who had been waiting downstairs. Together, the two lifted Rika and carried her out the door and into the night.


	19. Setting Sail

EEEK!!!! I have finally updated! Aren't you so happy? I am!! T-T See the tears of joy? Oh well….it's going to be so hard to keep up with ya'll now. The good thing is that I'm more motivated to finish cuz someone's actually reading it. In that way I guess I owe ya'll one. Oh! And thanks so much to Silver Pain and my newest fan (jk!!) Youkai Goddess. Ya'll are so great! sigh If I sound crazy it's cuz it's like 12 at night and I'm feeling a little….out there. Anyways…On with the story!

Rika awoke with a vague feeling of dizziness and nausea. "Oof…" she muttered sitting up slowly her hand to her head. "I feel like I just got run over by a herd of horses…" She kept her eyes shut tightly against the pain in her head. At least the waves provided a kind of distraction. They were really peaceful in a—

"What the fuck?!" Rika's eyes shot open and she bolted out of her bed. She was no longer in the small room at Kagami's. In fact…she wasn't in any room at all. She was currently situated in the middle of a cabin. A ship's cabin. "Where the hell am I?!"

In two quick bounds, she was across the room and at the door. It was, of course, locked. _Oh, I don't very well think so!_ Rika pounded frantically on the door. "Hey! Someone open this damn door!" Footsteps outside the room warned her in sufficient time to step back and glare. The door opened to admit a burly, hulk of a man. _Oh, shit…_

"Good. You're awake," the man grabbed her by the arm and hauled her out the door.

"Hey!" Rika tried to wrench her arm away to no avail. This man was strong. "Let me go!"

The man ignored her every plea and continued pulling her up a flight of stairs. When they had at last reached the deck, he released her.

Rika whipped her arm away as soon as he had loosened his grip. Turning around, she found herself faced with the stateliest looking man she'd ever seen. "You! I demand to know what is going on!" She tried her best to glare in an intimidating fashion.

Not working. "I am the captain of this ship. No one demands anything on this ship but me, just as no one _commands_ anything on this ship but me."

Rika frowned but had no chance to reply.

"Since you are awake, you can join the rest in the hold. This is not a pleasure cruise; however, we will take decent care of you to ensure that you arrive at our destination in good health."

"What in the world are you talking about?" Rika's headache was slowly fading and with it her temper. Now she was just confused.

The Captain ignored her question. "Take her to the hold," he instructed the same man who had brought her up to the deck. "The others have had their chains unlocked for the day."

_Chains….?_ Rika followed the burly man, this time without the benefit of being led. There was apparently another set of stairs unseen by Rika on her trip above deck. It was to these that she was directed and escorted down. Approximately midway down, a wall of stench hit her hard.

"Ugh! What _is_ that?!" she asked pausing for a minute to cover her face.

The man behind her did not reply but prodded her forward.

At the bottom of the stairway, was a door. _How theatric…_ Rika reached out and turned the knob. Once opened, the door did little to block the full effects of the stench. Now Rika recognized it as that of unwashed bodies. Lots of unwashed bodies. The room was fairly big and filled with bunks. They had been nailed to the walls and stacked as high as five, one on top of the other. And all of them were filled with women. Or girls depending on your point of view.

"What is this….?" Rika asked in a whisper as she surveyed the occupants' dirty clothing and unwashed bodies.

"This is your new accommodations," a new voice floated to her. A young woman, no older than twenty or so, stepped up before her. "You must be the new girl. I'll take her from here," the girl waved a flippant hand to Rika's escort.

The man grunted and turned to clomp back up the stairs, being careful to shut the door behind him. This time Rika heard a distinct click as the lock was turned.

"Overgrown ape," the new girl hissed at his back. She turned to study Rika. "Well. It's not hard to see why you were taken."

"Excuse me but what is going on here?" Rika asked a trifle vexed. This was so confusing. "I was inside Kagami's house eating soup and then…."

The girl nodded, "Yeah, sounds like what happened to every poor soul in here. This is a shipment of slaves, sweetie. Pleasure slaves."

"DO WHAT?!" Rika's mouth dropped open. "I-I'm on a ship that traffics girls?!"

"No," the girl explained patiently. "You are on a ship that traffics _you_. You're going to be a pleasure slave, too. We all are."

Rika slowly sank down onto the nearest empty bunk. "This can't be happening. I mean, I have to look for Aya. She'll kill me after she's done with that man for not finding her sooner. Ha!" Rika let out a short laugh, "She'll kill me for getting myself into this mess!"

The girl appraised Rika with a sharp eye, "Listen, sweetie, you're in shock. It's okay. You've got a nice figure and a pretty face. You'll be okay. I'm Naia, by the way."

"I'm Rika…"

Naia squatted down next to Rika and looked her in the face. "Look, we're almost at the port. We should arrive sometime tomorrow night. So just forget Aya. She's better off not being here, anyway."

Rika shook her head in a distracted fashion. "No. Aya would just love a situation like this. It would give her an excuse to cut loose. She'd kick the whole crew's ass and sail the ship home by herself. And Yuko would be all about bashing in some skulls. Mieri would look on and scold them for doing something bad. And I'd laugh at all of them…" Rika burst into tears as Naia held her as gently as she could.

"It's okay," she murmured gently into Rika's soft brown hair. "It'll be alright." But Naia knew that nothing was going to be alright for any of them.

Rika cried herself to sleep. It was Naia's bunk that she slept in with the older girl curled up beside her. When they woke again, it was to the sounds of sailors readying the ship for docking. "Get up," Naia rose and motioned for Rika to do the same. The other girls, young and beautiful for the most part, all seemed to take Naia's getting up as a signal. They, too, rose and stood ready to face whatever came their way.

"What's going to happen?" Rika asked, rubbing her red eyes. It was very rare that she let anyone see her cry. She was as bad about it as Aya; but then again, she'd never been transported to Ancient China, separated from her friends, and sold as a whore either.

Naia looked down at her with amusement. "Well, I'm not exactly sure. I've never been sold before. I'll let you know the next time around."

Even in such a stressful situation, Rika had to laugh. "Sorry. I'm just nervous."

"Oh, really?" Naia laid on the sarcasm. "Whatever for?"

"Alright, alright! I get it!" Rika shook her head. "I don't know why I'm laughing…"

Naia shrugged. "Because if you weren't, you'd be crying. It's the same for all of us. We just have to keep our hopes up. Escape isn't impossible, you know. Just damn hard."

"Thank you for that little ray of sunshine," Rika glanced at her new friend.

"No problem!"

Footsteps outside the door caused the entire room to tense. Rika took a deep breath and faced the door with an air of negligent confidence. This time it was the Captain himself who opened the door. "We have arrived at our destination," he informed them with no expression at all. "You will all be given baths. After you have been cleaned and dressed appropriately, groups of ten will be taken off of the ship. From there, it is Fate that you must answer to. I will have no further control." With that, the Captain nodded slightly and left, leaving several crew members to escort girls onto the deck where they would take their baths.

"Well, at least we can bath," Naia commented with a shrug. "I haven't bathed in forever, it seems. "

"I had a bath only a couple days ago, but I feel filthy," Rika admitted.

"Stick close to me," Naia instructed. "I don't want you to get separated."

"Maybe we'll be sold together?" Rika asked hopefully. "Then we can escape together, too!"

"Yeah," Naia smiled down at her. "Let's plan on it."

Much later, when everyone had been cleaned and clothed, the sailors began dividing the girls up into groups of ten and taking them up the stairs. They didn't return. Naia and Rika gravitated to the back of the room to put off the moment when they would be taken as well. Eventually, there were only six girls left in the room, including them.

"What happened to groups of ten?" Rika asked in a whisper.

Naia's jaw tightened. "There were some lives lost."

Now a bit frightened, Rika watched one sailor separate from his peers to head their way. "Follow me," he spoke in a gruff voice. "Don't make a sound and don't try to run. If you do, you'll be killed immediately." He turned and motioned for the six girls to follow. Once on the stairs, the girls were joined by four more sailors. They were tough and looked as if they would happily slit anyone's throat. Rika kept her mouth shut and her feet moving.

She was surprised to see that, once she arrived on deck again, that it was already late at night. When the bathing had started, the sun was just thinking of setting. With somewhere close to a hundred girls to ready, the preparations had taken a long time.

Rika took a chance and leaned close to Naia, "Where are we exactly?"

"A port in Hokkan," was the whispered answer.

"Hokkan? Where the hell is that?!"

"Not Konan if that's what you're asking. It's another country. Now be quiet! The guards will hear!

"Why are we being so quiet?" Rika whispered after a few seconds.

Naia glanced at her, their guards, and back to her, "You don't really think that Hokkan would allow slave trading to go on in its ports, do you? This is _really_ illegal."

Rika looked annoyed. "So why don't we just kick up a fuss? Then they would get caught."

Naia looked at her with pity in her eyes, "Because the townspeople will turn a blind eye. They're making a profit off of us."

"Oh…" At that moment, one of the guards looked their way, effectively ending any more attempts at conversation. But as they moved down the silent streets, Rika could see that Naia had been only too correct. The streets were completely deserted: something that would never happen normally in a port town. She could see shadows inside the buildings they passed, but not a single person stuck their head out of their windows to see what this strange procession was up to. They didn't have to see. They already knew.

It took all of about fifteen minutes of walking silently to reach their destination. It seemed to be a pub nestled far back into the corner of an alleyway. Even from a distance, the music and merrymaking seemed deafening. The six hostages were hustled in past the rowdy and drunken customers to a back room. There a finely dressed man waited impatiently in a chair.

"It's about time!" he snapped irritably as the door was shut behind them. "I've been waiting here for hours!"

Rika glanced at the lavish surroundings and the pretty serving girls hanging all over him. _Yeah, you waited all right._

The man waved an imperious hand. "Come, come! I can't wait out here all night! Let's see what you've brought this time."

The six girls, Rika included were prodded into a line in front of the man. He stood and surveyed them one by one. When he reached Naia, he paused. "Nice facial features. Adequate body. She'll do for the House. Now, just one more…" He kept walking until he stood in front of Rika. "You. You'll do nicely. I need a girl with a figure." The man grabbed a generous handful.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?!" Rika screamed, slapping him before she could think. Her hands flew to her mouth.

"Insolence!" the man cried drawing away from her in distaste. "Yes, she'll do for the House but only after she's been properly broken!"

The sailor nearest her leered. "I've some experience with breaking fillies."

The man sniffed. "You'll do as well as any other."

Rika stiffened. "I think not!" she cried indignantly. "I don't know who you think you are, but I'm not about to be 'broken' by any filthy sailor!"

The sailor growled and advanced on her. "I'll show you filthy!"

Just then, the door flew open. A tall blonde stranger stood weaving in the doorway. "W-where is she?! Dammit, I just had a vision…" He stumbled into one of the sailors standing by the doorway. "Are you the P-priestess of Genbu?"

4


	20. Two New Additions

WAH! Hiya! I'm so HYPER right now! It's a rare mood for me so I must REVEL in it! HAHAHAHA! So…Thanks once more to all my readers as well as reviewers since I know a lot of people read and don't review. SHAME ON YOU! T-T I would review for you….BUT! A special thanks must go out to my 2 favorite reviewers Silver Pain and Youkai Goddess! Why are they my favorites? Cuz they review all the time of course! And cuz Silver Pain is so patient on my reviewing her story…; Heehee….Yes…so thanks! I shall hopefully continue to do these updates swiftly-like. And I'd just like you to know that the ONLY reason I'm getting these done this fast is cuz I feel so guilty about ya'll not knowing what's coming next. Oh. And you won't find out who the blonde dude is yet. Sorry Silver Pain! But I have to tell what happens to the other 3 girls right? It can't all be about Rika! glares at Rika for taking up so much time Oh! And one more thing! NO ONE has guessed which charie is based off me yet! TT I feel so hurt! Can you not tell? She's the most beautiful one! Anyway! Enough stalling! Forgive me please! bows But I am hyper you know….On with the story! Enjoy!

Yuko woke slowly with a vague feeling of sadness. Stretching, she sat up and blinked sleepily at her surroundings. "What the―" She started and became instantly wide awake. A flood of memories from the day before came rushing back to her. "Oh…" she sat silent and still.

"Lady Yuko?" Nakago's voice startled her out of her reverie.

"Oh!" Yuko jumped. "Nakago! You startled me."

"Forgive me, Lady Yuko," he bowed deeply. "It is time we continued our quest."

"Quest?"

"Yes, Lady Yuko," Tomo answered her. It was the first time she had heard him speak, and her first thought was that he sounded rather nasally, like he had a bad cold. "We must gather together the last of our companions."

"Companions?" Yuko looked around, confused. "I don't understand."

"Lady Yuko, you are our Priestess. We are the Seiryu seishi."

"The what!" Yuko stared at him dumbfounded. "What the hell is that?"

Nakago looked at her, face expressionless as usual. "Here in this land we have four ruling gods. The Seiryu seishi serve the Dragon god, Seiryu. You are the Priestess. We need you to summon Seiryu for us."

"Uh…huh…" Yuko looked skeptical. "And I'm supposed to believe this…why?"

Nakago held up a hand that suddenly became engulfed in an intense blue light.

Yuko gasped. "So it wasn't a hallucination! You really did pick that wolf up and throw him!"

Nakago nodded slowly. "The rest of the gods' seishi are our rivals, but," he paused, "the Suzaku seishi are our sworn enemies. They shall die at all costs!"

Yuko blinked. "Okay. So what do I have to do?"

Nakago glanced at her, "You must summon Seiryu."

"Oh. Okay. So how do I do that?"

"You must remain purest of the pure and call upon the powers inside of you."

Yuko blinked again, "Remain purest of the pure? Wait a minute! I have to be a virgin!"

"But of course!" Tomo interjected.

"No way! There goes my plans to get laid!" Yuko wailed spinning around and wringing her hands. "I don't want to be a virgin! That was the whole point of going to America! To get laid! Now I can't even do that!" She whirled around to face Nakago. "Get someone else to do it! There's no way I'm gonna stay a virgin!"

Nakago smiled in bemusement. "I'm afraid you are the only choice we have. It is you…or destruction."

"Damn!" Yuko cursed. "Why me! Fine!" she reluctantly agreed. "I'll do it. But you have to promise me that I can get laid after helping you."

Nakago nodded, "I'm sure that can be arranged, Lady Yuko."

"Good!" Yuko nodded smiling once again. "I waited this long, a little longer won't hurt. Now what?"

"We wait for the other Seiryu seishi to arrive," Nakago explained. "They have surely sensed your life-force by now and are making their way here as we speak. In fact, a third seishi arrived while you slept."

"Really?" Yuko was excited. "Where? I want to see whom I'm supposed to be doing this for!"

"As you wish, Lady Yuko," a small voice agreed.

Yuko looked around eagerly to see the warrior. "Where are you?"

"Here, Lady Yuko." The voice was at her feet.

Yuko looked down into a pair of strange eyes. Long brown hair fell straight down to about the mid-shoulders and swung as the small girl looked back up at her. She was dressed in robes as would befit a priestess; and in her hand, she carried a toy that looked like a spinning top with a sharp point on the end. "A kid!" Yuko asked Nakago in disbelief.

The child raised her toy and suddenly she was floating in the air level with Yuko. Once again, Yuko stared into those strange eyes. They were slitted like a cat's and just as yellow. They were definitely not natural. "I am more than a mere child, Lady Yuko. I am older by far than I look. I have the ability to use the body of any host I choose. That is my power as a Seiryu warrior."

"That's awful!" Yuko cried. "That poor kid!"

"She was of course near death when Miboshi found her," Nakago cut in smoothly. "Otherwise he would never have taken her body like that. In a way, she will live on thanks to him; and he does need a body in order to exist himself."

"Oh," Yuko sighed in relief. "I thought you just took her body over!"

Miboshi bowed his head slightly, "Never to a child, Lady Yuko."

Yuko nodded. "Good, but how did you know where we were?"

"All of us can feel your presence to some extent, Lady Yuko," Tomo answered. "You are far more powerful than our last priestess, so it is more difficult this time. You are able to hide your life force better than she. In this way, however, we are able to find you no matter where you are."

"Neat," Yuko laughed. "Mieri would love―" her words stilled. Tears formed in her eyes but refused to fall. "Yeah…Mieri would have loved knowing that _someone_ knew where I was. She was always saying that I got into more trouble without her and Rika and Aya." A single tear slipped free.

"There, there," Nakago stood by her side. "It won't do any good to cry. We must find the other warriors and summon Seiryu."

"So where do we start?" Yuko asked sniffing quickly and taking a swipe at her eyes. "Do we just wait until they all come to us?"

"Not precisely, my lady," Tomo bowed slightly. "We shall move in their direction and they in ours. It is faster this way."

"So…" Yuko looked around. "How many more seishi do we need again?"

"There are seven seishi for each god. We only need two more."

Yuko glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. "Are you sure you can count? There are seven seishi and only three of you."

"I'm afraid you'll have to make that five," a voice said behind her. "We are sorry it took so long."

Yuko spun around to see two boys walking towards her. It was immediately obvious that they were identical twins. "Oh! And who are you!"

The closer of the two bowed. "Suboshi."

"I am Amiboshi."

Yuko nodded not sure what else to do. "I'm Yuko. Nice to meet you."

Suboshi turned to Nakago. "We are here. When do we launch an attack on the Suzaku scum?"

_Feisty, isn't he?_ Yuko smiled to herself a little. _Well, whatever these Suzaku seishi have done, it must have been pretty bad for everyone to hate them so much._

"We will not attack the seishi until we are at full strength. Then, we will move with caution. I don't want to repeat our last attempt."

Suboshi's face twisted into a snarl. "I want another chance at Tamahome! He'll pay for what he did to me!"

Yuko raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She turned to look at the other twin. Amiboshi, was it? He stood shifting nervously from one foot to another. If his brother was right at home, Amiboshi looked downright scared.

"Ah, Amiboshi. The sheep has returned to the fold," Nakago also turned his attention to the quieter twin. "And how does it feel to be the only one who survived? Did you grovel and beg before that priestess to save yourself?"

Amiboshi flinched. "I have only recently gotten my memories back, Nakago. If you'll remember, it was Tomo who pushed me away."

Yuko noticed that at the mention of this―whatever it was―Suboshi frowned and moved slightly until he was between Amiboshi and Tomo. _This is better than a damn soap opera,_ Yuko thought with delight. _This trip could be fun!_ Her mind deliberately pushed away thoughts of Mieri.

"And it was _you_ who helped the Suzaku no Miko and Tamahome escape our trap!" Tomo growled in a low voice. "For that, _you_ should have died and not me!"

Yuko blanked. "Do what!"

Suboshi spoke up in his brother's defense. "He was confused! The Suzaku no Miko had tricked him!"

"And you!" Tomo rounded on the younger brother. "You stood with him! To the point that _you killed me_!"

Yuko backed up a step. This was getting a little weird. Suboshi had killed Tomo? That was impossible! Tomo was right there! "What in the world is going on!" she whispered fiercely.

Suboshi glared, "I will always stand with my brother. We may not always agree, but we are still brothers." The look on his face said that he could and would kill again if it meant saving his brother.

"Suboshi, that's enough," Amiboshi laid a hand on his twin's arm. "Bickering among ourselves is not going to solve anything." He turned to face Tomo, "I have chosen my side willingly this time. I no longer walk blindly into it."

"See that you do not get 'confused' again," Tomo stared with hostile eyes. "It would be a shame if _I_ were to grow confused on the battlefield…"

"Enough!" Nakago shouted. "There must be _seven_ to summon Seiryu. This time there is no Shinzaho to make up for a lost seishi. We will all stick together and get along. Now, Lady Yuko, what is the matter?"

"Tomo said Suboshi killed him!" Yuko stated in disbelief. "That's impossible!"

"Not so impossible, Priestess," Tomo bowed. "We have all died with the exception of little Amiboshi here," he glared for a moment then continued. "But a strange power has brought us back. Your power perhaps?"

Yuko shook her head slowly. "I don't have any powers. Not like you guys have."

"On the contrary," Nakago disagreed, "You have powers as a priestess. We have but to find them."

"For real?" Yuko stared at hands in awe. "So I can blow stuff up?"

"It is possible…" Nakago glanced at her in amusement. "But we shall have to find out. I doubt that this will be as simple as it sounds."

"Aw!" Yuko let out a sigh. "I wanted to have cool powers!"

Nakago smiled down at her. "We shall discover them in time. For now let's move on towards our next seishi. I believe you will like this one."

"Oh, really?" Yuko moved to walk beside Nakago with Tomo and the twins following behind and Miboshi floating overhead somewhere. "Who is it?"

"The only female seishi we have. Her name is Soi."


	21. Meeting the Suzaku Seishi

Hello- I apologize for the long wait, but this time I have good reason! I am grounded. Yes. Such a horrible fate. glares at parents However, I suppose I deserve it. I was supposed to bring my grades up…and didn't. So I suppose it is my fault. In a round-about way. Anywho…about my reviewers…I actually have some answers/comments for you this time! Oh! And one more thing! I'm taking a page from Silver Pain's book but if you want to be in my story send me your info and I'll try to fit you in. Realize that it probably won't be any major charie…thanks! And keep guessing as to who I am! NO ONE'S FIGURED IT OUT YET!

Silver Pain: Heehee! Still no guesses? Aw! I thought it was rather obvious! Guess I was wrong…;; And your charie will probably appear soon…As soon as I can figure out who it's going to be….

YG: Yes, yes. We are a lot alike aren't we? beams I guess I have a positive influence on them. But really there's a lot of subtle differences. Like Rika's more level-headed than anyone else. And Mieri is more "moral" oriented. And of course Yuko is…well…scary at times. And Aya is more of a crazy/rebellious chick. So see? There's differences…you just have to search really really hard-

Shondrial-Amonte: Yes…a whore. Deal with it! laughs So I hope you don't get too mad at me. Rika still has a long way to go towards gathering her seishi. She's the only one without any at the moment!

Emarista the Torturer: Hiya! And thank you for reviewing! Yes, yes! Soi is very confused…but I think it's very sweet the way she'll stand up for Nakago and stuff. Even he had reasons. And we ALL feel rather sorry for Rika. I meant to make that section longer…probably will go back and add some….But not everyone has it good right? Think of what Yui went through. And Mieri is a lucky little bitch isn't she? glares at Mieri However, even she will encounter some rough stuff….laughs evilly Ahem…sorry….

Mieri found herself flying through the air, only stopping as her butt hit the ground. And bounced. "Ow!" She stood up on slightly shaky legs as she rubbed said sore spot. "Dang! Could you have _thrown_ me just a little harder! Then, I could have popped my back out of place, too!"

Chichiri stepped out of his hat and put it on his head once more, "I apologize, no da! I didn't think the landing would be so hard..."

"Well, we had no problem with it," Tasuki smirked behind his hand. "Maybe it's just you?"

Mieri flushed, "Maybe not!"

"Please don't fight with the priestess, Tasuki!" Nuriko chided. "It's bad for team spirit!"

"You know…" Tamahome paused. "I've been wondering...Why did we all come back in our original bodies? I mean, Nuriko and most of the rest of you were reborn, right? So how come ya'll are back to normal?"

Nuriko shrugged, "I think we need Chiriko for this one. Where is he? And Mitsukake and Hotohori, too."

"We're right here," Mitsukake announced coming around a corner. Hotohori and Chiriko followed behind him. "We heard the shouting."

"We need your help with something, Chiriko," Chichiri turned to face the smallest of the seishi. "Why were you, Nuriko, Mitsukake, and Hotohori brought back in your original forms, no da?"

Chiriko hesitated and thought it out, "Well, we know almost for sure that the blonde girl―"

"Aya," Mieri interjected.

"―Aya―was responsible for us all being brought back. And you say that this girl is our priestess?" Chiriko gestured to Mieri.

Tamahome nodded, "Yes. She was surrounded by the aura of Suzaku. There can be no mistake."

"She also had some pretty nifty powers that make it hard to ignore her, na no da!" Chichiri grinned happily.

"And Aya heard all about us through you, Hoki?" Chiriko resumed his questioning. Houki nodded. "Then all I can guess is that whatever god Aya called on brought back the Suzaku seishi as _she_ thought of them in her mind. Since Aya had no knowledge of our reincarnations, we have been summoned back in the forms that Aya thought of us in."

"What about the other seishi?" Mitsukake added. "Like Seiryu? This girl didn't even know about them except in some vague details."

Chiriko threw up his hands, "I don't have all the answers! I'm just speculating as it is! I'm not sure what the Seiryu seishi look like, but I'm willing to be that it will be as we remember them. And I have a question of my own." Everyone paused. If Chiriko had a question, it was a serious matter. "What of the seishi of Genbu and Byakko? If Suzaku and Seiryu had their warriors restored, what of the other two gods?"

Everyone was silent. No one could think of what to say in the face of this new query. No one, that is, except Mieri. "Excuse me!" she held up a hand as if in school. "What in the _world_ are you guys talking about! What did Aya do this time?"

"You know that you're our priestess?" Hotohori asked gently. Mieri nodded. "Well, we believe that each of your friends is also a priestess but of a different god."

"Ah," Mieri nodded her head. "That explains nothing!"

Tasuki snorted, "Are you completely stupid! You're our priestess, and they are someone else's priestesses! You've gotta help us summon Suzaku before anybody else summons their god!"

"I don't think we need to summon Suzaku," Chichiri disagreed. "There is as of yet no reason for us to. Konan is not in any danger. And neither is the world as a whole."

"Then why were you all brought back, and why was I dragged into this funky world?" Meiri asked hands on hips in a scary shadow of Aya when angry.

"We don't know!" Tamahome jumped up. "That's the problem! We just don't know! We're sitting here doing nothing while we could be gathering information!"

"Um, I still need a bath!" Mieri reminded them forcefully.

Houki hustled up at that moment in time to hear Mieri's plea, "You poor dear! They've totally ignored your needs haven't they? Well, you come along with me! I'm Houki, by the way. We'll get you a bath and then some food. You can sleep in Tasuki's room."

"WHAT!" the Mt. Reikaku bandit leader suddenly appeared in front of them. "I don't think so! Where am I supposed to sleep?"

Houki brushed aside his protests like cobwebs, "Oh, it's not like you haven't slept on the floor before! You can sleep on the floor in Tamahome's room."

"But he talks in his sleep!" Tasuki whined. "He's always counting money and stuff in his dreams!"

"Get earplugs," Houki advised before sweeping away a very amused Mieri.

Mieri began giggling before they were even halfway out of the room. "What is it with you people? You're all crazy!" She stopped for a moment and exploded into a fit of laughter. "You remind me of my friends!"

Houki laughed a bit, "Yes, I suppose they are all a bit…how should I say it? Off?"

Mieri nodded, "Yes. That's a good word for it." Her expression became a little downcast. "Aya would probably hit me. Then, Yuko would cackle. And Rika would get on to us for fighting right before she started a tickle war." Tears dripped slowly down her face. "I miss them. Where are they?"

Houki watched on in silence and pity. "I'm sorry," she finally said. "I don't know. If I did, I would tell you at once, Priestess."

"It's Mieri. Just Mieri."

"Very well, then," Houki bowed her head a little, "Meiri. Now, here is the bathing chamber. Take as long as you like. Ring this bell when you're done and servants will appear to take you to your room."

Mieri looked around the chamber that held four large stone tubs sunken into the ground. From the steam coming off the water, this was right on top of a hot spring. "Thank you," she murmured gratefully as Houki slipped out the door. In moments she was undressed and immersed up to her neck in the almost scalding water. She sighed and closed her eyes.

"I think this is the first bath I've had since leaving Takinawa…" She sat up suddenly, causing water to splash over the edge of the stone basin. "Now's not the time to relax! I've got to find out what in the world's going on!"

In no time at all, Mieri had her hair washed and had bathed. With a little trepidation, she rang the tiny bell that Houki had left her. Servants appeared like magic from all corners of the room. Luckily, they were all females. Mieri, conscious as ever of her nakedness, took the towels they carried gratefully and wrapped herself in them. She had but a small amount of time to enjoy them before they seized them and began briskly drying her off.

"I feel like a dog," Mieri grumbled as she stood still for her rub down. Soon enough, the servants threw the towels to one side and held up articles of clothing for her to put on. Mieri laughed nervously. "Make that a doll…" But she dutifully put on the clothing given to her. When all was done and the servants had gone, she looked down at herself in disbelief.

Her clothes reminded her of something worn by an Arabian mistress. It was silk gauze at the arms and legs and a good portion of the midriff. "Wah!" Mieri wailed. "How can they expect me to go out like this!"

"Don't fret, Mieri!" Houki was back and all smiles. "It's quite normal here in this land."

"That doesn't make me feel any less naked," Meiri whined.

Houki smiled gently at her. "It isn't to go out with anyway. You'll just be sleeping in them. I'll show you to your room."

Meiri nodded, covering a yawn. "That would be nice."

Houki led the way out of the bathing chamber and down several hallways. _I'll bet Aya was lost within five minutes_, Mieri snickered as she remembered that both Aya and Rika had spent some time at this place. _I wonder how they liked the seishi…?_ Mieri laughed silently to herself and shook off that thought. _I'm not sure I wanna know how they reacted to that red-head. What did they say his name was? Tasuki?_ She thought about Tasuki's accusations of broken noses and…other things…_Maybe I should try and smooth that one over…_

"Here we are," Houki finally announced with a flourish. "You're very own room!"

Mieri looked around the room in approval. She noticed a piece of cloth placed on one of the walls. "What's that for?"

"Um…" Houki hesitated. "That's where Aya…threw Tamahome."

"Ah," Mieri nodded. "She broke another wall?"

"Another?" Houki seemed nervous and amazed at the same time.

"Sure," Mieri waved a hand, "One time this guy was messing with her and kept touching her. She's _not_ a touchy person. So when he wouldn't leave her alone, she got mad."

"Well," Houki smiled. "That certainly explains things! I'll leave you alone now. Have a good night!" She bowed before turning and leaving.

Meiri stood for a moment in the doorway to the room. A sudden rush of exhaustion flooded her and made the bed look ten times as inviting. "Time for bed," she mumbled sleepily as she stumbled towards the bed. A belly flop later, she was snoring quietly, lost in her dreams.


	22. Friends Reunite

I apologize in advance for the length of this chapter…but there just didn't seem to be any good place to cut it off! So yeah…This is your second chapter as a reward for being so patient while I updated. And since I didn't say it before…I'm so grounded. And that's why it took so long. Yeah…so please have even more patience with me! This is hard work! Thanks and review!

"Psst! Tamahome!" Tasuki hissed up at his friend from the floor. "What do you think the Priestess is doing in there?"

Tamahome groaned and rolled over. "How am I supposed to know! It's almost morning! Why don't you move the cloth and find out? It's not like I didn't make a big enough hole…" Tamahome grimaced and grew even more determined to sleep. "Just leave me alone."

Tasuki lay on his back staring up at the ceiling in silence. He thought of the Priestess who was now sole owner of _his_ room. "Baka!" he whispered quietly. "Who does she think she is! I mean, I know she's the Priestess…"

His thoughts turned to Miaka. "She was better!" Tasuki nodded firmly. "She showed me that not all women are bad!" He glared up at the ceiling. "But that new Priestess! Mieri! She's all bad! She argued with me, a stranger!" Tasuki laughed a little bit as he thought of the very short Mieri practically standing on tiptoe to yell in his face. "She is loyal though. She even defended that blonde-haired demon! And she is the Priestess…." Tasuki rolled to his feet suddenly and quietly. "Well, I may have sworn to protect her; but that doesn't mean I can't watch her!"

Creeping slowly across the floor, careful not to wake Tamahome, Tasuki made his way over to the cloth that separated the two rooms. "I wonder what she's doing?" he asked himself before pushing aside the cloth and slipping through the hole.

Moonlight fell through the small window, perfectly illuminating a sleeping Mieri. Tasuki quickly and quietly made his way to the bed and gazed down upon its occupant. _She must have been really tired,_ he thought, compassion making him forget that he was not supposed to trust her. _I bet she walked a long way. And to be separated from her friends like that…._

Another thought entirely slipped unbidden into his mind. _She's really cute._ Before he knew quite what he was doing, Tasuki had leaned down to kiss her. Just as his lips brushed hers, Mieri awoke.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" She shoved him violently from her. Hands flew up to her still warm lips. Blushing furiously, she turned to face a dazed Tasuki. "You! You stole my first kiss! What am I gonna do!"

"Priestess!" Tamahome, Chichiri, and Hotohori burst into the room. Following them were Chiriko, Mitsukake, and a sleepy Nuriko. "Are you okay! What happened?" Tamahome scanned the room and located a still dazed Tasuki. "Tasuki, what were you doing!"

"He―"

"She saw a spider!" Tasuki interrupted Mieri desperately. "But I squashed it! See!" He picked something off the floor and threw it quickly out the window. "Don't worry, Mieri. No more spider!" He smiled nervously at her, pleading silently.

Mieri watched him, not sure what to think.

"A spider? Was that it?" Hotohori asked Mieri.

Mieri nodded. "Yes. I've never been a fan of bugs."

Tamahome groaned. "I was just about asleep!"

Chichiri―ever happy―only laughed. "It's about time we were up anyway, no da! We still have much work to do in finding out why the seishi were brought back."

"The best place to look would be with the origin of the problem," Chiriko put in. "That girl Aya would be the most logical one to find. I mean, we've already gathered the seishi."

Hotohori laughed, "This time, I can go, too! No one is expecting me to run the kingdom from the grave!"

"I'll have to go, too, I'm assuming?" Mieri hopped out of bed and stretched. "That's fine with me as long as we're looking for Aya."

"But how do we find her? Chichiri couldn't sense her when she was two feet from him!" Nuriko pointed out. He had been busily chatting with Houki. Both had once been members of the Emperor's harem and had become fast friends. "Now we have no clue where she is!"

Tamahome paused to think, "Chichiri couldn't locate her because she was stronger, right? Well, what if we got someone stronger than Chichiri to look for her?" His eyes strayed over to Mieri.

"Who? Me?" Mieri's face was the picture of shock. "What can I do?"

Chichiri cocked his head to one side. "It could actually work, no da! If she concentrated on her friend, I could possibly get a reading of where she is and contact her like we contacted Tamahome when he was with the Seiryu no miko! Da!" He grinned happily.

"You're a genius!" Tasuki clapped him on the back, relieved to have the topic so successfully changed. "Let's get to work!"

"NOW!" Hotohori and Nuriko both shrieked.

"I need my beauty sleep!" Hotohori protested.

"Yeah!" Nuriko pouted. "How am I supposed to look this good on only a few hours?"

"Get over it!" Tamahome snorted. "You can sleep later. Now Chichiri can we get started?"

"Sure, no da! Mieri! Can you picture Aya in your mind? Picture finding her. Picture her so strongly in your mind that there is room for nothing else."

Mieri sighed a bit, closed her eyes, and began to picture her errant friend. She pictured her smile as she threw her head back and laughed. That evil laugh. Mieri giggled and continued thinking of the stupid ditzy things she'd done like getting lost in their hometown. She thought of all the times she had threatened ex-boyfriends. And she thought of all the times Aya had been there for her even if she didn't agree with what she was doing.

"Got it," Chichiri stated. His one good eye was closed in concentration, and he held one hand in front of him as if praying.

Mieri opened her and glanced at the cape-thing that Chichiri had laid out carefully on the floor. "What the―" Mieri gasped. It was glowing!

"Good job!" Tamahome smiled. "It's working!"

"Damn you, Tokaki!" a voice floated through the cape from the other side. "How could you do this to me!"

Slowly a picture came into view. What Mieri saw made her want to laugh and cry at the same time. Aya stood in the middle of a forest with her hands wrapped around a very handsome boy's neck. "You bastard!"

"I…didn't…know!" the boy managed to gasp out.

Aya continued to wring his neck as she shook him back and forth. "Not good enough!"

A busty white haired girl flitted from one to the other in the background. "Please, you two! Do we have to fight…?"

Tamahome was currently on the floor laughing like a maniac. "Tokaki! HA! It serves you right that she's _your_ priestess!"

Mieri glared at him then noticed that Tasuki was rolling right beside him. "Ha! That chick's crazy! She'll kill him before they have a chance to summon Byakko!"

The only person not involved in the fight finally noticed the watchers. "Hm? Ah! Tamahome!" The young man smiled kindly at them through the cape. "I see you've found your priestess as well?"

Tamahome stopped laughing long enough to reply. "Hi, Tatara! Yeah. Good thing she's not as violent as yours!" Mieri elbowed him in the ribs. "Oof!"

Tatara glanced back at the scene behind him and chuckled. "Yes. She is very…passionate, isn't she? I do have to admit that she does this with no little provocation."

"What did he do? Try to feel her up?" Nuriko cackled.

"Among other things…" Tatara ducked as a pinecone flew by his head. Aya had apparently released her hold on his neck and picked up a stick. She was currently swinging the stick with all of her might and using pinecones as bullets.

"Did I mention she plays softball…?" Mieri added, trying very, very hard not to laugh.

Tatara sighed. "I'm not sure what that means, but I'm assuming it explains her deadly accuracy with the stick and pinecone?"

Mieri nodded finally succumbing to her urge to laugh.

In the background, Aya perked up. "Mieri? Where is that goofy laugh coming from? I'd recognize it anywhere!" She glanced in their direction. "Whoa! What is up with that!" She quickly hurried over. "It's like a TV! Only….on a tree…"

Mieri leaned excitedly over the edge of the cape to better see her friend. "Aya!"

Aya brightened, "Mieri! I knew it was you! Hey!" she glowered at the seishi in the background. "What are you doing with them! Be careful, Carrot-top!" She threatened shaking a fist. "I know where to find you if you mess with her!"

Mieri blushed remembering the reason that they were all up. "Stop worrying about me! Apparently, I'm their priestess."

Aya groaned. "You, too! God! These people are persistent! I thought we'd gotten away from that when we left the palace! But no! I was picked up by similar idiots and proclaimed the 'Byakko no miko'!" She glared at the still wobbly Tokaki. "_That's_ how I lost track of Rika!"

Mieri's face fell. "So you don't know where she is!"

Aya shook her head sadly. "No…when Monkey-boy back there picked me up, he forgot to take her along for the ride. We came back to where we left her, but she's not here."

"I kinda lost Yuko, too," Mieri admitted. "Some creepy―yet so totally hott―guy found us when we first woke up. He thinks Yuko is _his_ priestess. Apparently, he doesn't like competition because he tried to kill me along with his gay friend."

Aya's face lost any trace of happiness. Instead, it became eerily calm. "What's his name? Where can I find him? I'll kill him myself!"

"That would be hard to do, no da!" Chichiri put in. "I believe you're talking about Nakago, and he is no easy opponent."

"Doesn't matter." Aya turned her eyes to the blue-haired magician. "Do you know where he is?"

Chichiri shook his head. "Sorry, no da. But I don't know where to find him. It would be very dangerous to try to search for his life-force in that he would be able to sense me as well."

"Don't worry about me, Aya!" Mieri scolded. "He still has Yuko! Who knows what he's doing to her!"

Hotohori frowned, "If he had a friend―"

"Gay friend has to be Tomo," Nuriko interrupted with a smile.

"―then he is undoubtedly gathering the Seiryu seishi. But what does he plan to do with them? Why would we need _all_ the seishi for only the Seiryu warriors?"

"What if the Seiryu warriors are not our problem?" Chiriko asked. "It is conceivable that the gods wish us to work with each other in order to fight something far more terrible."

"It's true that it was the seishi, not Seiryu himself, that declared war on Suzaku and Konan," Hotohori nodded.

"So…what are we going to do?" Aya asked. "We can't leave either Rika or Yuko alone any longer than necessary! We have to find them!"

Subaru―who had finished nursing a worn-out Tokaki―spoke up, "The only thing that _we_ can do is try and find the rest of our seishi. Once we are at full strength, then we can deal with the problem of this Yuko. With both the Suzaku and Byakko warriors, the Seiryu seishi stand no chance."

"What about Rika?" Mieri exclaimed. "We don't even know where she is!"

"We could travel to Mount Taikyoku to see Taitsukun," Chichiri suggested. "If anyone knew where your friend was she would, na no da!"

"Why can't we just scry for her like we did Aya?" Mieri wondered outloud.

"Because I'm a bit tired, no da!" Chichiri laughed nervously. "Even with your help, finding your friend was hard work!"

Aya snorted as she leaned forward to get a better view, "Okay. So you'll try it later! Then you can…do whatever and find me again. When I've got all my guys, we'll meet you guys and go kick some butt. Then when we've got Yuko again, we can find Rika!" She clapped her hands like she was breaking a huddle in one of her softball games. "That's the plan! Any questions?"

"Since when did you get to be boss?" Tasuki mumbled, not expecting Aya to hear.

"Because I say so, Carrot-top!" Aya growled at him. "And don't think that you're safe over there because Tokaki can and will teleport me over there with the sole purpose of kicking your pathetic ass!" She gave him one last glare.

"I will?" Tokaki popped off from the background.

"_Can and will_…"

Tokaki laughed hesitantly and scratched his head. "Yeah…I guess it wouldn't hurt…"

Chichiri butted in, "I hate to break this up, no da, but I can't hold the connection much longer!"

Mieri scooted up to the image of her friend. "You hurry up and find those seishi so we can get everyone back together again!" She smiled bravely. "Don't get killed."

Aya laughed, "Don't worry about me! You know I will! We'll meet ya'll at this Mt. Taikyoku place, okay? See you then! Goodb―"

The connection broke and the cape showed only its strange design of bubbles once more. "Sorry, no da," Chichiri apologized sadly. "I couldn't hold it any more."

Mieri sighed. "It's okay."

Tasuki sighed as well, but his was one of relief, "You're friend is psycho."

Mieri smiled a bit sadly as she thought of her blonde, idiotic friend. "No. With Aya it's good when she yells. If she was utterly polite, _then_ you'd know she didn't like you or you'd pissed her off."

Mitsukake nodded wisely, "I've had some patients like that in the past."

Tasuki threw up his hands. "I don't get it! She yells at the ones she likes and is nice to the ones she doesn't like! That chick really is psycho!"

"Oh, hush!" Mieri batted at him. "It's time to get going I suppose."

"I'll ready the supplies," Hotohori started for the door.

"And I'll go along with him," Chiriko and Chichiri both got up and followed their former emperor from the room.

Mitsukake bowed out saying the he needed to ready medicinal supplies. "In case we encounter some minor injuries," he said with a smile.

Tamahome went to see how much money they had for the trip. "I'd better go with him," Nuriko sighed. "He'll never leave off with counting it! Come on, Tasuki!"

They both exited, leaving Mieri alone with her thoughts once again. "Hurry, Aya," she whispered to herself. "Hurry and find those people. I think we're all in a lot more trouble than we know."

4


	23. Trouble for the Twins

Hello again- How are you doing! I am doing fine…considering. Currently I'm SUPPOSED to be working on a research paper that's due Tuesday…but by now you surely know how easily bored and distracted I get, right? I actually am working on it…some….But anyways! I apologize in advance for this chapter being so short, but I couldn't find a better place to end it. Sorry! I also apologize in advance for the horrible mistreatment of the twins. T-T Forgive me, my love! But…I don't know. The Seiryu seishi are all so dull and Yuko decided they needed to loosen up. A lot. So blame her not me! Now…for reader response thingies…

Silver: Lol Yes, Tasuki is sneaky! It's a good thing Mieri's so understanding! And yes….I remembered that I hadn't said anything about leaving a hole so I went back and edited it…only it got edited in my version on my computer and not yours. So sorry for the confusion! And of course I'm AYA! Hello! The big sexy beautiful blonde! Duh! stomps off returns But you did guess first so here's your prize! hugs There! You officially got hugged by Aya! Merry Christmas! Oh, and Aya's not violent…she's just…aggressive…yeah…

YG: blinks Hyper, huh? Well…good luck with that…And YES! I am Aya. T-T You were only JUST behind Silver to pick that up! Your prize is….hugs her A HUG FROM AYA! Yes…you both got the same prize. Don't worry. There's enough Aya love for all! Only now…I'm afraid ya'll will run away because Aya gets….wild…" Thanks for the complements. I've finally started to read your story and review it so you have to promise to update lots!

Maeleana: Why thank you! I'll have to go over and read yours! I'll be it's good too!

Lolinia84: LOL if we remind you of you and your friends god help us all! I thought we were as crazy as we could get! Lol thanks for reviewing and don't sweat it if you can't review EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER…you can always come back later right?

"Fuck this!" Yuko announced as she plopped down. "I can't go any farther!"

Nakago stopped and looked back, "Do you need to rest, Lady Yuko?"

She glared up at him, "Damn right, I do! I've only been walking for _two days_!"

"I apologize," Nakago nodded briefly, "We no longer have access to the wealth of the Kutou Empire. At the moment we cannot afford any other means of transportation."

Yuko blushed a bit but refused to move, "I don't care what you do, but I'm stopping!"

Miboshi came down from his permanent position above her head. "Lady Priestess, Soi is not far from this place. If we continue just a little while longer we can rest along with her."

"But I don't think I can walk anymore!" Yuko rubbed her bare feet. Like Rika, she had been dressed for bed. Nakago found some more suitable clothes for her in an abandoned farmhouse, but shoes had been one luxury that they'd been unable to find.

Nakago seemed to come to a decision, "Amiboshi, carry her."

"Do what!"

"Your Priestess is tired," Nakago stated coldly. "Carry her so that we may continue."

Amiboshi looked to Suboshi for help, but his brother was too busy trying not to laugh. Yuko was no better. She had immediately jumped up and laughed cruelly. "Piggyback ride!" she laughed again.

Not happy at all, Amiboshi stooped down to allow Yuko to jump onto his back. When she was safely situated, he and the rest of the Seiryu seishi started in the direction that they felt Soi's life-force the strongest. It couldn't be too much farther now.

Yuko grinned maniacally―a habit she'd picked up from Aya―as she bounced merrily along on Amiboshi's back. "Thank you _so_ much, Amiboshi, for carrying me! I thought I might, I don't know, _die_ without your assistance."

"I ought to dump you on your butt," Amiboshi growled good naturedly up at her. "You weigh a ton!"

Yuko popped him on the back of the head.

"Ow!" he cried. "That hurt!"

"You shouldn't talk about a woman's weight, dammit!" Yuko scolded. "It's rude!"

Suboshi laughed somewhere behind them. "Don't hurt him too bad, Lady Yuko. We still need him to help us summon Seiryu. And his flute powers could come in mighty handy!"

"Oh, that's right!" Yuko paused. "You play the flute don't you…?" In spite of―or maybe because of―her slightly violent nature, Yuko was a great lover of music. It was one of the things that all four girls had in common. Mieri could play the piano with exceptional skill. The other three were natural born singers. "Play for me," she commanded suddenly.

"What? How am I supposed to do that!" Amiboshi asked incredulously. "I'm having enough trouble carrying you as it is!"

Suboshi cracked up again. "Guess you'll have to manage somehow, brother!"

"No," Yuko shook her head. "I want to hear you play really good! And you can't do that while carrying me."

"So you're going to walk?" Amiboshi asked hopefully.

"Nope. Suboshi's going to carry me!"

"Do what!" This time it was Suboshi who groaned.

Amiboshi chuckled. "Now that I can do!" He paused for a moment and allowed Yuko to slide down. Afterwards, he stretched his back a bit. "Man! We haven't even gone a mile, and my back is already totally sore!"

Yuko popped him again on the head and waltzed over to Suboshi who was looking less than thrilled. "Any more comments out of you two and I'll tell Nakago to let you be Tomo's playthings."

Both of the twins' eyes widened. "You wouldn't!" they exclaimed.

Yuko glared at them, "Don't count on it! Now let's go, Suboshi! Nakago and the others are getting ahead of us!"

Suboshi obediently bent down and allowed her to climb onto his back. "This is so unfair. Amiboshi was the one instructed to carry you."

"Quiet down there!" Yuko now popped Suboshi on the head. "Start walking! And you! Start playing that flute!"

Amiboshi smothered another chuckle and took out his precious flute. "What would you like to hear, Priestess?"

"How about something that instills energy in its listeners?" Suboshi mock-groaned. "I feel tired already!"

Yuko glared and was about to hit Suboshi again when Amiboshi interrupted with a smile. "All right! All right! I'll play, just don't kill each other!"

With that, he lifted his flute to his lips and began playing. The melody was soft and slow. Each note sounded pure and wrapped around Yuko like a blanket of music. She closed her eyes and just listened. Even Suboshi, plodding along beneath her, slowed his steps and seemed caught in the magic of the moment.

The end of the song came too soon for Yuko's taste as Amiboshi's music delicately faded away into the forest around them. "That was beautiful!" Yuko exclaimed once the song was no longer able to be heard. "Play another one!"

"Make this one a little more upbeat!" Suboshi asked. "I can't walk faster to a beat like that!"

Yuko turned to Amiboshi with a strange light in her eyes. "Come here!" she gestured impatiently. She whispered quickly in his ear, and Suboshi thought he caught some strange melody. But he couldn't be sure.

Amiboshi pulled back in surprise. "Lady Priestess!"

"Just do it!" Yuko urged. "He did make fun of you…"

Suboshi watched the two conspirators suspiciously. "What are you two―"

"Now!" Yuko cried.

Amiboshi brought his flute his mouth once more, but this time his song was a little more…unconventional. ((AN: Um…you know the Pony Express song? Yeah, that one-))

The beat caught Suboshi by surprise; and under the influence of Amiboshi's powers, he found his feet moving faster. Almost like…a horse's gallop?

"Heeyah!" Yuko had managed to grab a stick from a nearby tree and now brandished it. She swatted Suboshi on his butt. "Giddy up! Let's go! We gotta catch up with Nakago!"

Suboshi was so shocked by the blow that he bolted down the path. Amiboshi, trying not to laugh and ruin the song, ran to keep up with them.

Nakago and Tomo were walking at a sedate pace when two blurs shot past them. Miboshi―from his position in the air―informed them as to what was happening.

"Well, at least this Priestess isn't boring…" Tomo snickered.

Nakago sighed. "At least they're heading in the right direction."

Miboshi came down until he was at eyelevel with Nakago. "There is someone just ahead of them. I believe that the Lady Priestess will be meeting our next warrior very soon now."

"Good," Nakago quickened his pace slightly. "Maybe Soi can keep her company without Lady Yuko using her as a damn horse."


	24. Seiryu Seishi Soi

Ah, yes! It is that time again! I am so proud of myself for updating so quickly! Of course…it's rather short. Why? Because I hate trying to think of interesting things for the Seiryu seishi to do P They're just not much fun! However I have tried to spice it up. Or rather Yuko has. She's so good at that! Yes….so this is the final installment of the Seiryu seishi until the next time I come around to them. curses that prospect in the distant future So…here go the reader response thingys….

Silver: Tasuki's not bad! He just…got caught up in the moment- And yes…spiders were the only thing he could think of at the moment although coincidentally they are one thing that Mieri doesn't like. And AYA IS NOT VIOLENT! takes metal chair and prepares to beat you with it Um…she just…gets frustrated easily…. And yes…I beat up on the twins. I'm sorry but when Ami meets his 'one true love' you'll see a lot more hitting. I apologize to all those twin lovers out there…I can't contain myself….TT And no pajamas! No! Yuko is…reading this! She'd kill me! glances over shoulder Like literally…..

YG: Wow….you….kinda….scare me- I wish I could be hyper all the time like you! Not fair! TT…and you MUST update your story soon! I want to know what happens! Oh…and one more thing…yes! Someone else who appreciates the supreme evil of the Seiryu seishi! does an evil dance sings an evil laugh launches into her famous evil laugh Ahem! Yes….

Mealeana: Yes…I've kinda already explained why the twins were being hit. It's BECAUSE they're so cute! You just can't help it! Plus Yuko is really violent. MUCH more violent than Aya! bows And I am really sorry! Due to time constraints (damn research paper…) I haven't had time to review your story…but I promise that eventually I will! bows again

Shondrial-Amonte: Eh…no one really cares what you think! XP And yes…I SOLD YOU AS A WHORE! Be glad I don't LEAVE you there! I think you'll like the rescue though. It's cute! It'll be the chapter after this one…- So don't bug me about updating until you work some more on your own stories dammit P No excuses! I'm grounded AND I'm trying to juggle softball, school, a social life, and manga! glare Okay. I'm done now. Heehee! Hope you like the next few chapters….

Emarista the Torturer: Yes….I like to torture my characters….put them through the ringer so to speak- Not that I'm sadistic or anything! eyes gleam But! I'm glad you find it funny and hope that I can continue to amuse you! But it's when I make you cry that I shall be satisfied….bows

Ugh…Well, that's done! These thingies are getting to long! Or maybe…my responses are too long…-"" In any case ya'll have the option of scrolling down so I refuse to feel guilty…Tata for now- mwah!

Amiboshi finally finished the song requested by Yuko and stopped to catch his breath. Suboshi immediately stopped running, and Yuko had to jump off quickly to avoid being dumped. "Hey!" she teased, "That's no way to treat your priestess!"

Suboshi glared at the two of them as he gasped for breath. "You two…can…go to…Hell!"

"Only if you go with me!" Amiboshi teased him as well. "Besides, I'm tired, too!"

Suboshi only glared again and bent over to rest his hands on his knees.

Yuko looked over her shoulder. "Aw! We passed Nakago and them! I wanted to ask him about the new warrior!"

"Soi?" Amiboshi asked. Yuko nodded. "Well, you know, we are seishi, too! It's not like we haven't met her!"

"I know!" Yuko muttered defensively, "But Nakago said that you spent most of your time in Konan and some village. And Suboshi was too wrapped up in Yui to notice anything else."

"Hey!" Suboshi blushed. "That is not true! I…noticed stuff…"

Yuko laughed out loud. "You so had a crush on her!"

"Well, Amiboshi was in love with Miaka!" Suboshi glared at his older brother.

Now it was Amiboshi's turn to blush bright red. "Don't say such things! I just didn't think we needed to kill her!"

"Uh-huh…." Suboshi smirked. "Sure…."

"Alright, enough squabbling!" Yuko rubbed her hands together. "We need to think of something fun to do in this God-forsaken country."

Amiboshi with his shyer nature seemed hesitant, "Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know. We could blow something up."

"What!" both twins gaped at their Priestess. She was definitely not your normal girl…

"Sure! Of course, it would have to be abandoned. Don't want to have to clean up body parts or anything…"

As Yuko continued to plan, Amiboshi and Suboshi watched in awe. Neither of the three noticed the lone figure coming behind them until she spoke.  
"Now we just need something to light it all," Yuko thought hard.

"Would lightning do?"

"Well, yeah; but we can't exactly call it down on this barn or anything," Yuko waved dismissively.

CRACK! A huge bolt of lightning flashed down from the previously blue sky. Combined with the stray bottles of sake that Yuko had managed to gather, the explosion was quite the show. "AWESOME!" Yuko enthused. "That was way cool!" She spun around in delight. "Which one of you guys can do that!"

"I did, Priestess," a strange girl bowed deeply.

She was pretty with deep brown eyes and long brown hair that she wore in a kind of loop in the back of her head. She was slightly taller than Yuko by maybe an inch or so but held herself with dignity. _She seems young as well. Probably not too much older than me._

Yuko blinked, "Who's this?"

"I am Soi, Lady Priestess," the girl spoke again. She stood and looked in the direction the three had come from. "Is Lord Nakago with you?"

"Yeah, he's somewhere back there, I think," she pointed behind them. "We kinda left them."

"Thank you, Priestess," Soi hastily bowed and soon was running back down the thin trail.

"What's up with her?" Yuko asked the suddenly silent twins.

It was Amiboshi who answered, "She's…in love with Nakago. That's how she died. She jumped in front of a sword thrown at Nakago."

"Oh…" Yuko was silent. "So does he love her back?"

Suboshi nodded while turning a curious crimson color. "Yeah…they…um…"

"Had sex?" Yuko asked sarcastically.

He nodded, still blushing.

She turned to Amiboshi, "Now what's up with him?"

Amiboshi laughed, "He found out the extent of their relationship the hard way."

Yuko thought for a moment. "Oh!" she cried as it dawned on her. "Ha! Suboshi walked in on―"

"Thank you, Amiboshi," Suboshi interrupted quickly, "For that lovely walk through memory lane!"

Yuko giggled, "You guys are crazy. Come on. Nakago's probably pretty mad that we ran off and left him."

Turning and racing back down the path, Yuko was soon followed by Suboshi. Amiboshi started to follow with a shake of his head. Pausing, he looked in the direction of Konan. He couldn't sense Mieri. It was hard enough finding his own priestess! But he hoped she was doing okay. She had seemed like a nice girl. And the Suzaku seishi…Amiboshi glanced at the Seiryu seishi just now coming into view. No matter what they said…he was glad that everyone was okay again. _But it's not like they'll take you back. Miaka's not here to vouch for you any more. And I have to stay with Suboshi. This time we won't get separated…_

"Amiboshi!" Yuko and Suboshi waved at him, "Come on!"

Amiboshi sighed and turned his feet and his heart towards his fellow warriors. _Maybe not now, but someday! I'll get Suboshi out of here. And maybe we can take the priestess, too…_

"Oh, Lord Nakago!" Soi raced down the path, heedless of decorum. "Nakago!" She smiled and laughed.

"It seems you were correct, Miboshi," Nakago stated emotionlessly.

Soi finally reached them, totally out of breath. She stopped before Nakago rather suddenly and bowed deeply. "My Lord Nakago, I, Soi, have returned to serve our god," she looked up at him, "And you."

Nakago stared at her for a long moment. "Very well. We have only Ashitare left to find. He should be somewhere east of here."

"Do you have enough provisions, Nakago?" Soi asked. "I can get you some. There's a village not too much farther on down the road."

Nakago glanced towards Yuko and Suboshi, who were headed their way. "Lady Yuko needs to rest. She is obviously not used to this much traveling, and it is tiring her. We shall stay in the town for a few days and rest. Ashitare should continue moving towards us."

Soi nodded, "Should I run ahead to reserve rooms in the inn?"

Nakago thought for a moment and then decided, "Yes, take Lady Yuko with you. It will do you some good to get to know her."

Bowing once more, Soi turned and headed for Yuko. After a moments deliberation, the two turned and headed towards the village Soi had said was just down the road. Suboshi paused for a moment and then continued towards the rest of the seishi.

Nakago watched as Amiboshi hesitated before coming back. "Watch him, Miboshi," he instructed. "I don't want a repeat of two years ago."

Miboshi followed Nakago's line of sight and smiled without joy, "I think I can handle him, Nakago. I might not have the little priest's body anymore, but I can still summon my demons."

"As long as you don't kill him," Nakago reminded him. "I'd hate to have our plans ruined because you couldn't control yourself."

"I shall watch him as well," Tomo volunteered as he watched Amiboshi's approach through narrowed eyes. "He won't escape me a second time."


	25. Rika's Rescue

Waaah! dramatic entrance Hiya- I'm in such a good mood today! Yes, I've finally updated. I hope you like this chapter. Rika finally meets her first seishi. What with Mieri having 7, Yuko having 6, and even Aya having 3: Rika's a little behind everyone else. But of course she has to be. She was the last one to be identified as Priestess. Also someone asked me (god help me I can't remember who) why Mieri already had all of her seishi basically handed to her on a silver platter. I don't know if I explained this in the actual story or not but it's because when Aya released the seishi she actually meant the Suzaku seishi. Those were the ones she wanted to meet. So even though "That Mysterious Voice" brought back all of them, the ones that were on her mind (Suzaku) were the ones transported to where she was at the moment. Also Yuko has a really easy time of it. That's because one of the specialties of the Seiryu seishi is their ability to sense life forces. That's why all of them can in some tiny way sense Yuko's life force despite the fact that she's strong enough to hide it even from Chichiri. So all of the Seiryu seishi knew when their Priestess came. Which was why Nakago knew that Yuko was their Priestess. See? Not so illogical! Now for the reader response thingys…

**Silver: **Yes…Soi is back. And of course she is as madly in love with Nakago as ever. - That girl has really got to get a life…anyway! And you know the Seiryu seishi are evil! They're gonna be SUPER pissed at Ami for becoming a traitor. Of course Tomo has issues with both twins cuz Suboshi killed him. - I love saying that: SUBOSHI KILLED TOMO! evil laughter And I hope you're calmed down by the time I talk to you again…o.O….

**YG:** Heehee! No…not always hyper…just most of the time- But that's okay. It's why we love you. I'd just like you to know however that when I read your last review (the one before this one) I was in the library. I got kicked out. So…yeah…

**Lolinia84:** Yay! You're back! I hope you enjoyed my chapters! And don't sweat it about not reviewing. As long as you come back and review later. nods Anyway…I LOVE ALICE 19th! It kicked so much ass! TT But I don't like the ending…it sucks….sniff Anyway hope you like this one too….-

No one moved. No one it seemed could think. As for herself, Rika dimly realized that, _yes,_ she was breathing… "Um…excuse me?"

The blonde man blinked as he looked again at the sailor. "Oh. My bad. Sorry," he scanned the room. "Dammit! I know that ssstupid premonisssion s-said she'd b-be here…I wash happy becash it wasss a barrr!" He hiccupped.

_Oh, god! He's smashed!_ Rika looked around her quickly. Naia was gaping, the rest of the girls were still scared spitless, and it looked like her would-be rescuer was a tad too inebriated to be much help. _So, I guess it's up to me…_ Rika sighed. She hated having to do these things herself. Before anyone could react, she was across the room ― newly stolen sword in-hand ― with her blade pressed against the nobleman's throat. The girls attached to her through their chains were nearly pulled off their feet. "Okay!" she smiled brightly. "Would anyone like to remove these chains for me?"

"D-do as she says!" the nobleman squeaked. "Please don't hurt me!"

Rika looked at him with disgust, "I'd hate to think my first kill would be wasted on you. So as long as we all go free, you'll live, you slimy piece of muck."

The nobleman's eyes flashed, and Rika could see the unfiltered hatred shining out of them. "Remove these chains at once, you buffoons!"

The sailor closest to the door reached hesitantly into his pocket and pulled out a ring of keys. He glared at Rika as he inched his way over to the row of huddling girls.

Rika narrowed her eyes and sighed heavily. "Look. I realize that you guys don't like me. Just like you probably realize that I don't like you. But let's face it. It has _not_ been my best week so far. I'm cranky, I've got a blade pressed to the neck of your paycheck, and you're going A LITTLE DAMN SLOW!"

The sailor jumped and scrambled across the remaining space. With slightly trembling hands he began unlocking the shackles from the terrified girls. Naia flashed her a grin right before her own fell to the floor.

The man approached Rika with an odd mixture of fear and bloodlust. "Oh, please," Rika hissed, all patience gone, "Please try and overpower me. I can guarantee that I'll slit his throat and have my hand waving hello to your backbone before you touch me." She glared so hard that he blinked and caught himself before backing up a step. With infinite care not to seem threatening, he finally unshackled her and backed slowly away.

"Thank you!" Rika smiled at Naia. Once the older girl was standing next to her, Rika shoved the nobleman away from her, careful to keep the sword in hand and ready. "All right. Now we're going to leave. If any of you step through that door before I make it out of the building…" she let the threat hand in the air. Looking around the room, she noticed that the other four girls had already gone. _Well, that's gratitude for you!_

The drunken man stepped forward to meet her, "Are y-you the Genbu nnnoooo mikkko?"

"Um…." Rika grabbed his arm and rushed out of the small room. She could hear the nobleman shouting at the sailors behind her. "Can we talk about this later?"

"This way!" Naia pulled both of them to an out-of-the-way backdoor. It was nestled unseen in a corner and was no doubt an escape for the owners when things got too rowdy.

All three of them burst out into the night air. Rika turned to look behind her but couldn't see any signs of pursuit. "Wait!" she called breathlessly to Naia and the stranger. "I think we lost them!"

Naia, too, turned and slowed. "Dear gods above!" she wheezed, hands on her knees. "I thought we were done for!" She suddenly launched herself at Rika and enveloped her in a hug. "Thank you," she whispered in her ear. "Thank you for not giving up. I owe you a great debt, Rika."

Rika sniffed and hugged her hard back. "We're friends, goofball! What else could I do? Besides," she drew back and smiled, "I wouldn't have been a very compliant whore."

Naia laughed and took a swipe at her eyes. "True. I don't think you would have at that!"

Rika glanced at the dark alleyways on either side of her. "So where do we go from here?"

Naia hesitated. "I….Rika, I'm afraid we must part here."

"What? Why?" Rika asked in disbelief.

"Because you and I are from different worlds," Naia gazed at her fondly before caressing her cheek. "I am not blind. I can see you are destined for greater things than I. That you _come_ from greater things than I."

"But I don't understand!" Rika was deeply hurt. Somewhere inside she had planned to take Naia with her when they escaped.

"I can't go with you!" Naia cried tearfully, "I was stolen the same as you! I have a home to go back to and a life to live. Just as you do."

"But―"

"Rika," Naia motioned swiftly to the young man. He was slowly sobering up and appeared to be much more alert. "Look at him."

Rika turned and glanced at him before turning back to Naia, "Look, I swear I don't know who he is!"

"No!" Naia shook her head. "Look upon his forehead…"

Rika turned, irritated, and practically glared at him. He clutched his head and seemed to be in pain. Rika's anger vanished and she was about to step forward when he suddenly straightened. She almost bolted with fear. His eyes were open but they were filled with a strange black light…"Oh my god…" she whispered horrified.

Naia nodded, "See? He is a seishi of Genbu."

"A-a seishi!" Rika stammered as she continued to stare. "Like the Suzaku Seven!"

Naia nodded. "Yes. And you are his Priestess."

"But―how do you know?" Rika wailed in fear. "All these people are so concerned with the priestesses, but how can you be so sure that they can do the job? How are you so sure _I_ can do the job?"

Naia reached out and touched her cheek again, "Silly. It's not a job that you can complete or not complete. You _are_ the priestess. It is as simple as that. Now go," she gave her a little shove towards the young man who seemed to be recovering from whatever had come over him. "Go to your Warrior and save Hokkan and this world."

Rika took a few hesitant steps towards the young man. His eyes opened wide, and Rika discovered that they were a strange golden color. "You!" He came quickly toward her and grasped her hands. "You were the girl in my vision!"

Rika glanced down at her hands and then back up at him. "Say that again?"

He smiled and brushed his short blonde hair back out of the way. "I have been looking for you! My vision said that you would appear to me in that bar…however…" Again he grinned, "I have a particular love for sake." He bent over and gently kissed her hand which was still held fast in his grip.

Rika flushed from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. She was a sucker for the romantic kind. Of course, that didn't mean she was a _total_ idiot. "Thank you," she smiled mockingly. "That was a fine rescue you planned."

He winced. "Okay…I admit…my visions didn't tell me that you would be in danger. They just showed me the location and your face."

"Which you couldn't recognize because you were three sheets to the wind!"

"Please forgive me, Priestess?" his eyes became innocent and reminded her of a puppy…

"Oh, alright!" she snapped. "Just quit looking at me like that!"

"Thank you, Priestess!" he returned to his presumably normal self.

"And don't call me that!" Rika admonished feeling irritated for some reason. "My name is Rika."

"And I am your seishi, Priestess Rika," the young man bowed again. "I am Urumiya."

"That's great," Rika sighed. "Now _I_ have seishi. Oh!" she suddenly thought of her friend. "Naia, I―"

But her friend was gone. Rika looked around in confusion. The alley they had stopped in led only to houses. Unfriendly houses. There was no way Naia could have left without passing Rika by.

"Come, Rika!" Urumiya smiled mischievously and offered her his hand. "We have other warriors to find."


	26. Water Water Everywhere

Whoo! This chapter is going so slow! whines I know what I want to say…but it's really hard to make it come out like I want! You'll get to hear some more from Rika in this and probably the next few chapters…Then I think we'll be off to make sure Aya hasn't killed Tokaki in our absence…Sometimes my characters take it into their heads to do things I'd never have thought of! " But you'll see! Rika kinda surprised me and did some stuff that I thought was way out of character. But what can I say? They are no longer 'my' characters. They're people now with their own personalities. And apparently Rika's feeling the stress! Heehee! So please don't tell me HOW TERRIBLY OOC this was. I know. So yes…on to the RR's….

YG: Once again…O.O you astound me… I love it! Mwahahahaha! On with the hyperness! fends off YG with a spork No! No eat me! Eat the dummy clowns! Wahahaha! chases clowns for awhile gets bored stops Yes! Urumiya is very cute! And suspicious! But he's a playa man! He can't help himself! He's like…a smoother version of Tokaki. Or at least he is in my story. Ya'll have to understand that from this point on, most of the Genbu and Byakko seishi are based on my best guesses from what I've read online. - not the most reliable of sources…So yes…I am luckily at home LMAO…catches cashew and eats it God bless softball skills…

Lolinia84: I'm seriously gonna shorten your name. I have everyone else's. So from now on you shall be known as 'L84'. Sorry but I'm lazy! Yes…Rika is free of the ring of slavery. eyes gleam Or is she? Lol yeah…the ending to Alice 19th sucked butt. I wanted to know more about what happened to Nyozeka….T-T Anyway…hope you like this chapter! Keep reviewing!

Silver: What exactly is so funny with Urumiya liking alcohol? glare lol you should have read about that in his bio on the Charie Page…but I don't ANYONE read that far down the list….too bad for ya'll! sticks out tongue And no…Naia is going to be important later but not as a seishi. Good guess tho. Thought about that for awhile. Then decided it was too cliché!

Emarista the Torturer: Like L84 your name shall have to be shortened. In honor of my fav. movie….i dub thee ET..snicker yeah…I can tell you love it…NO! You don't sound like a suck up! If it's a really good chapter just tell me. If it really sucks….tell me in a nice way…" But yeah…and Urumiya's really cute…I like him a lot! Heehee…if it's Hikitsu you like send me a profile and I'm sure we can work you in!

Maeleana: Shortening your name too! To Mae…there…that wasn't so bad…Yes…scene shifts are kinda tough. But I just write till I run out of things to say on that particular subject. Then I find some ambiguous ending and…well…end it! And if ANYONE is like Rika….I feel very sorry for them…Rika is a psycho….yes…I might be killed now…but know that I love you all anyway…T-T Enjoy the chapter!

Rika looked around her one last time, "Hey, did you see where my friend went?"

Urumiya shrugged, "No, but really, Rika, we must go. Like now."

"Why?" Rika asked irritated that he didn't seem to care. "Why do we need to go now? We have to find Naia!"

"If Naia is gone, better for her," Urumiya grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the alley entrance. "We're kinda going to be in a lot of trouble in a few minutes…"

"And how would you know this!" Rika dug in her heels and refused to budge.

Urumiya let out a sigh of frustration and whirled around. "_Because_ I had another vision right before we officially met! And it said that we are going to be attacked―"

"They're over here!" a deep voice sounded somewhere ahead of them. Four or five men suddenly appeared around the corner.

"―right about now…" Urumiya sent her a resentful look before turning to face the men. "And now I shall have to fight our way out of here."

"Um, excuse me?" Rika moved to stand beside him with a loose board in her hand. "Who said that you were doing this alone?"

Urumiya glanced at her, shocked. A grin split his face, "Then, Priestess, I'd have to say don't pull your punches and don't get killed."

"And I'd have to say stop calling me that!" Rika finished her sentence in a shout as she let the first man rushing up have it flush on the face. His nose broke with a sickening crunch, and Rika felt her stomach heave. _No! I can't get weak now! Besides…Yuko wouldn't forgive me if I let a chance to kick some ass pass me by._

Urumiya, it seemed, was having no trouble what so ever dodging the blows of his three assailants. "Hmm…Rika?"

"Yes, dear?" she answered sarcastically as she ducked under a fist meant for her face.

"Did you happen to see any water around?"

Rika growled under her breath and put a little extra force into the kick that sent the second man tumbling. "Why, yes, actually, I have. I believe it was somewhere OVER THERE BY THE OCEAN!"

"Ah!" Urumiya ducked again and sent a dazzling smile her way. "I had forgotten this was a port. Thank you kindly."

"Thank you kindly," Rika mocked under her breath. "What in the world does it matter if―"

The sound of low chanting interrupted Rika's commentary. The thugs left standing hesitated, unsure of what to make of Urumiya. Rika herself was fairly confused. A dull roar made her shake her head. What in the world was that? _Did I get hit in the head?_

Urumiya suddenly appeared at her elbow. "Now would be a good time to view the stars from the rooftop." He lifted her into his arms and jumped atop a stack of crates. Judging by the smell of them they held a rather old shipment of fish. From there he proceeded straight to the roof of the nearest building.

"Get another one of those visions?" Rika asked as she struggled from his embrace.

"No," he smiled and refused to let her go. "I just happen to be the cause of what's about to happen."

Rika then noticed that the dull roar had grown to become a loud roar. The men in the alley were glaring up at them. The one whose nose Rika had broken was just now getting up. From her vantage point atop the building, Rika could see what was coming. And it scared her.

A solid wall of water careened down the streets of the small port town. _Is it a tsunami!_ Rika looked toward the ocean in terror. But other than being a little lower, there was no difference. It was as calm and unmoving as always. Another thing she noticed amid her sea of panic was that the water rushed through the streets at blinding speeds….but left not so much as a puddle behind it.

A wild idea seized Rika, and she glanced at Urumiya. A strange symbol was glowing in black letters on his forehead. Danger… He glanced over, and she saw that his eyes laughed at her. Probably the look of mingled horror and surprise on her face. Turning quickly to watch the wall of water once more, Rika saw the exact moment when the men down below realized their danger. Those that were left conscious, of course. They tried to climb up the same stack of crates Urumiya had so effortlessly jumped but couldn't seem to quite make it. The wall of water came closer. By now, they couldn't have gotten out of the alley if they'd tried. Several were praying to their gods. _I don't think that's going to work._

Rika watched the men drown there in the alley, caught in the solid block of water held there by Urumiya's strange powers. When the last one floated still and unmoving, the water leaked silently back down the streets until it reached the ocean again.

"Well," Urumiya's voice had lost some of its cheerfulness. "Now that that's done, I suppose we can be moving on."

"What just happened?" Rika asked in a quiet but firm voice. "I want to know what you just did."

Urumiya sighed and he set Rika back on her feet. "It is my powers as a seishi of Genbu. You noticed that I was able to dodge those blows?"

Rika nodded and said nothing.

"Well, I have the powers of water magic and precognition. I can sense danger, which is how I was able to avoid the blows. I also receive visions as a part of my precognition. That's how I knew you'd be here!" he smiled.

"And your water magic was the cause of ― that?"

Urumiya nodded. "Yes…that's why I asked you if you knew where I could find some water. I can use my life force to control it and give it commands."

Rika glanced once more over the bodies of their assailants. "Well, they were attacking us. I can't fault you for…what you did. Let's go." She turned and started walking along the roof of the building.

"Um…Rika?"

"Yes?" she muttered distractedly.

"How do you propose to get down?"

Rika started and looked over the edge of the building. For the first time, she realized how high up she was. "Oh, my god! How did you get up here! No wonder those guys couldn't climb those crates!"

Urumiya grinned mischievously as he swept her once again into his arms. "We seishi are the best of the best. We are perfect male ― and female I suppose ― specimens. In every way…" he winked down at her.

Rika blushed and glared up at him. "So you can jump high. Good for you."

"Oh, Rika! You have no idea of the wonderful things I can achieve!"

"And I'd just as soon leave it that way."

"But I could show you some cool tricks…"

"Get a grip you perve!"

Rika's shout echoed across the town. Equally as loud was Urumiya's laugh as he leaped from rooftop to rooftop.


	27. Bump in the Night

Yay! I'm back! Or at least my story is…so I'm back too in a way! It took me SO long to update! Why? BECAUSE I HAVE A CRAP LOAD OF FRICKING HOMEWORK! (sigh) There! Got that out of my system…Actually, I'm doing this _instead_ of homework which would make me a very bad girl…but I couldn't just leave my loyal reviewers (and readers who don't review) hanging! So…yeah…here we are…(sigh) Like I'm DEPRESSED thinking about how much homework I have…It's really sad cuz I'm never depressed like this where ppl would notice…TT I shall cry now…Okay I'm done. Yeah…this is really random so I'm going to do the response thingys… . 

Silver: Lol…I'm glad Urumiya's getting such a good reaction…-…he'll like that…perve…yeah…and not everyone cand handle tsunamis! If...that's what it was…But Urumiya can cuz he's so CUTE! . Ya'll just don't know what a pain it is to type Urumiya in over and over…yeah…And yes…(tear) I am a perfectionist…thank god its only when dealing with my stories! But yes…we lost our softball game…it was so bad I don't really want to talk about it! (twitch twitch) I seem to be rambling today…ciao then!

YG: Eee! Glad you liked it (and Urumiya) so much! No! Don't smite me with the spork! T-T Then who would update for you! (steal heavenly spork) MWAHAHAHA! I SMITE THEE! (smites YG) …..no! Hee…yes…smoother Tokaki is very sexy…btw…message was passed on…and good luck with your studying! Man I hated chemistry…what grade are you in anyway?

Koneko: Good to see you again! I place on blame on you of course…as long as you've been reading! Yay! You've liked it! That makes me happy too! Yes..Urumiya is an EXTREME flirt…he might as well make it a profession….and we probably won't hear from the Suzaku seishi until after maybe one or two more chapters with Genbu then….aya needs to be heard from….THEN we'll get to Suzaku…(glowers) Then its back to those damn Seiryu ppl…they're so hard to write for…but things should be picking up for them soon.. 3 heehee…happy reading!

ET: Glad you like it! And yes…I would do this for you…. you can be like his little g/f or something…how's that? Course he's been dead…so you could be his reincarnated g/f! (praises her quick thinking) yes…go me…ANYWAY…I shall watch my head…after being dropped on it several times as a child (seriously) I doubt I could lose any more brain cells…but thanks for worrying! "

"Do you have to do that!" Rika asked in irritation as she watched Urumiya carefully.

"Do you want to eat?" he asked calmly blowing on the dice.

"All you have to do is roll a higher number than me," the greasy man at the table smiled at them both. "Simple, no?"

"See?" Urumiya still didn't dare look his priestess in the eye. "Simple."

Rika grumbled to herself and crossed her arms. "Gambling is never 'simple'. They never let you have a chance to win anything significant. And then if you do by some freak accident…they off you once you're a good distance away."

"Off you?" Urumiya looked up finally in interest. "What does this term mean?"

"Never mind!" Rika threw her hands up in frustration. "You just…do whatever…"

"All right! I will!" Urumiya grinned happily and rolled the dice.

Three pairs of eyes watched the dice intently. It rolled around a bit…slowed…and stopped on a four.

Urumiya's eyes narrowed. "Hmm…not the best of rolls, but not the worst either. We'll see!"

Rika rolled her eyes and swore under her breath about stupid men. She'd been acting strange lately. More like Aya…or gods forbid…Yuko. They'd laugh to hear her say it, but this world seemed to bring out the worst in her!

"Very well," the man picked up the dice and smiled at Rika. "My turn."

Rika blinked. Why smile at her? She cast a quick glance at Urumiya who had no expression at all on his handsome face. What had he done now?

But the dice was cast, and they once again watched, nerves standing on end, as the dice slowed then halted. "Ha!" the man yelled. "A five! I win our little wager…"

Urumiya shrugged, "Darn. Well, can't win them all. How bout double or nothing?"

The man's eyes traveled once again to Rika, "Very well. Have it your way. This time I shall go first." He rolled the dice. This time he rolled a two.

"This shouldn't be hard to beat!" Urumiya winked at Rika. "Here we go!" He rolled the dice. Rika looked away, certain of victory. Now…what did she want to eat?

"No!" Urumiya shouted, his eyes wide.

Rika spun around and gaped in astonishment at the dice which had calmly landed on one. "No way…no frickin way!"

"I'm afraid that you lose…again," the man smiled that nasty smile. "Now it is your turn to pay up."

"What did you bet?" Rika asked in a strained voice.

"Um…you're going to hit me," Urumiya told her. "But maybe you'll forgive me?"

"What. Did. You. Bet," Rika ground the words out between clenched teeth. Dammit! She'd just gotten out of slavery! She sure as hell wasn't about to go back in!

"Um…"

"Come with me," the man stood up his eyes hard. "A bet is a bet, and you will come now."

Urumiya shrugged amiably and followed the man. Rika, her mind spinning, followed as well. They left the front room of the inn they'd stopped in and went through a door to a back room. Rika didn't pay much attention to her surroundings at first so great was her rage at Urumiya, but after a few seconds she noticed that it was uncomfortably warm back here.

It turned out that 'back here' was a kitchen. A kitchen without the nice air conditioner to keep it cool. "You will wash dishes for the rest of the night," the man instructed as he motioned to a large tub in one corner of the room. The girl can serve tables. When we close the kitchen, you can eat any scraps left over." He turned and strode from the room back to the front to greet another customer.

Rika stood unmoving, shocked, her eyes wide with disbelief. Urumiya patted her roughly on the back. "Well, I'm off to scrub. You'd better be careful out there. Some customer might think you're for sale!"

Blinking, Rika somehow made her way over to Urumiya. Then she punched him. Right on the jaw. Yep. Yuko and Aya would be proud. Her daze officially broken, Rika grabbed a plate of rice and carried it out to the first table of many that she would go through. "I will personally see to his annihilation!" Rika wheezed when she'd finally seen the last customer head upstairs for bed. "Right after I fall into unconsciousness…"

"Well, we can't have that now can we?" Urumiya spoke up from behind her. He caught her arm and steered her gently to the kitchen. Once there, he sat her down and fed her some soup that had been left over. "There. Are you feeling better?"

Rika raised tired eyes and gazed uncertainly into his golden ones. "I think I hate you."

Urumiya beamed. "Good! You're back to normal! Now! Let's get you into bed shall we?" So saying he picked her up, feet and all. Startling Rika into grabbing for his neck with both arms. She squinched her eyes tightly shut and squeaked. He laughed. "That sounded more like a mouse than a priestess!"

Rika growled at him, eyes still closed, "Shut up!" She felt him start to move and held on tighter. Listening intently, she could tell when they climbed the stairs and headed into a bedroom.

Urumiya placed her gently on a bed. Rika's eyes shot opened and she stared uncertainly at him. "Don't worry. I'm not going to eat you!" He smiled, "Yet."

Anger and embarrassment flooded through her, "You imbecile! Get out!"

"Can't," he shrugged, "My bet only included one room and scraps."

Rika's eyes widened. "But ― "

"Listen!" Urumiya laughed. "I'm going to sleep on the floor! I promise I won't try anything while you're asleep!"

"Promise?" Rika asked suspiciously.

"On my honor as a seishi," he swore. "Besides, I couldn't do anything to hurt my priestess, now could I?"

Rika thought about it for a minute and decided that as stupid and perverted as he could be sometimes, Urumiya had never given her anything to doubt his sincerity. His intelligence, maybe. But never his sincerity. She quickly scooted under the blankets piled on the bed. One she saved and threw down to Urumiya, who had lain down already. "There. Don't touch me, don't talk to me, don't even _breathe_ loudly. I don't want to be reminded that you're here."

"Yes, Priestess," was the soft reply.

Rika was getting sleepier by the second. Just before her eyes closed in sleep she managed to get out, "Don't call me that…"

Urumiya sat up for a time listening to Rika breath. He hadn't felt quite safe since coming into the room. Something was watching them. But he couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was! Rather than alarming her, he'd but Rika to bed. Not that she hadn't needed it. She had worked her tail off. Urumiya smiled in the dark. Yes…she was going to be just as much fun as Takiko. He'd always had fun teasing her. A sharp pain filled him at the thought of his beloved priestess. She'd gone back to her world only to die at the hands of her own father…Sometimes the knowledge that death brings isn't always welcome.

A slight bump against the wall on the other side of the bed had Urumiya up and ready for a fight. But he couldn't see anything. As much as he hated the thought of possibly waking Rika, he had to light the lamp. Careful not to make too much noise, he found the lamp and lit it.

Nothing. "I could have sworn that something was in here…" Urumiya quietly walked around Rika's sleeping place to check the other side of the room. Rika lay slumbering peacefully. It was really hard to wake her up actually. Once she was asleep…she was gone. He finally got to where he could see everything. Still nothing. "Dammit, I know I heard something! Like something heavy hitting the floor!" He glared at the floor as if it were hiding something from him. _Wait…maybe it is…_ Urumiya glanced at the bed. It was high and could possibly fit someone under it. "We'll just have to see, won't we?" Setting the lamp very carefully on the floor, he crouched down to peer into the darkness under the bed. Inching his head under so as to get a better look, Urumiya focused on something under there…something small….something that launched itself at his face!


	28. Pet

Greetings! It's good to see all of you again! Wonder why I'm so happy and hyper today! Huh? Do ya? Do ya! Well! I shall tell you! It's because this chapter is so cute and funny and I had so much fun writing it! And of course even more fun thinking it up! Also! The four priestesses have gotten together and decided to review my story just to make sure I'm telling their experiences correctly. Unfortunately, Rika has decided to um…comment first. So…if you'd care to take a look at the review page…her reactions should be pretty interesting! - Yes…so…a lot of you had guesses on what attacked Urumiya…IT IS NOT A SQUIRREL! Seriously! What in the world would a squirrel be doing in Ancient China! Good grief! Also! It is not a chipmunk, chinchilla, or any crazy animal ya'll thought up! (evil grin) It's much better! This is the first time that I've allowed readers to actually influence my story but…when I read ya'll's guesses…I got the funniest idea that I decided to change it. Not that it's a major change…but Urumiya is _not_ going to be a happy camper. Sorry Urumiya! Anyway! On with the RR's:

Silver: NOT A SQUIRREL! Not a chipmunk either! >P Dumb reviewers…but I bet that you at least like my little surprise. (steals Silver's sword and cuts the headphones in 2 before stomping on them furiously) What in the hell was that! What did I ever do to you! (glares at silver) And yes…I'm a perfectionist when it comes to my stories…(sticks out tongue)

YG: NOT A SQUIRREL! Or a chinchilla. Only you would think it was a chinchilla. However nice try. Oh. And its not an Easter bunny either you insane sugar-rush freak! - Mwahaha! You are a sophomore! How I pity thee! (laughs) Yes! It does suck. I had Acc. Chem. Last year as a junior in a class full of sophomores. That truly sucked beyond words. And I am not worried about your purgatory! Because I am the Conqueror of HELL! (maniacal laughing) And the only reason I haven't decided to conquer Earth with my minions like Hitler and Attila the Hun is because my friend Mae from Singapore is VERY scary and she has claimed Earth. So. Yes.

Shondrial: YES! You're right! It's not a squirrel! But you had inside info…so you still lose! (sticks out tongue) And Rika ends here. Sorry! But Aya needs love too.

Koneko: I'm not cruel! I just…had to end it there! (nods) Yes…Urumiya is fast becoming one of my favorites too! But I have to move on. Sorry!

Ladysakaya: You are now just…sakaya! How bout that? And thanks for reviewing! XD no…it's not a cat either..much less your cat! But my kitty-baby does the same thing! He's so bad! Lol I like the idea of a mini ninja but I'm afraid that's not right either!

ET: Hi! Thanks for the profile! I hope you understand that you probably won't be in it

until I'm about to introduce Hikitsu…or possibly right afterwards. But I shall get you in!

"AHHHHH!"

Rika was sleeping soundly when she felt the entire bed buck and shake. "Earthquake!" she yelled out, still half-dreaming, as she bolted upright and tried to get a bearing on her situation.

"Mmph mm momph mmm!" Urumiya shouted something intelligible as he shot out from under the bed. He was clawing at his face which seemed to have grown a very fuzzy gray beard.

"Wow...I didn't think you had a beard," Rika yawned. "It makes you look old."

Urumiya meanwhile was beating helplessly and running around the room. He obviously couldn't see very well because he slammed into the wall face-first and collapsed, writhing, on the ground.

Footsteps pounded on the stairs. The innkeeper who had gambled with Urumiya earlier that evening — or from the hints of gray in the window, last night — burst into the room. "What is the meaning of this!"

Urumiya finally pried something off his face and _threw_ it in Rika's direction. "WHAT THE HELL _IS_ THAT THING!" Sweat was pouring down his face, and his breath came in great, hard gulps.

Rika became a little more alert as something landed hard in her lap. When it moved a bit, she forced her eyes to focus. It was fairly small, reminding her of the many cats Aya had around her house. It was light gray with a little bit of white around the face and arms and legs. And it also had a very long, very thin tail. Her eyes widened. "It's a monkey!" she screamed in delight and immediately picked it up and hugged it. The monkey didn't seem to mind this and wrapped all five appendages including the tail around her and hugged back. "It's adorable!"

"I repeat," Urumiya had managed to rise and was pointing at the monkey with an accusing finger. "What the hell is that?"

The innkeeper shrugged. "The other part of our bet."

"I don't recall including _any_ type of furry monster!"

"No. It comes with this particular room," the innkeeper smiled cunningly. "I've been trying to get rid of the little bastard for years. But no one would sleep in here. Now he is yours." He turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"No way!" Urumiya growled, advancing towards the door. A sharp cry from Rika stopped him in his tracks.

"There is no way I'm going to let you throw out Zuri-chan!"

Urumiya felt a vein throb in his temple but turned around to look at his priestess. "Excuse me?"

"I know that innkeeper!" she cried with tears in her eyes. "He'll throw Zuri-chan into a pot and eat him!"

"Who is Zuri-chan again?" Urumiya was almost afraid to ask.

"Our new pet!" Rika announced proudly holding out the monkey to show him.

"No."

"Yes."

"Not under any condition am I allowing that thing to travel with us."

"Yes."

"We'll have to feed him!"

"Yes."

"He'll poop on your clothes!"

"Yes."

"He'll attack you in the night."

"Yes," Rika's face was firm and unmoving.

"He…" Urumiya sighed. "He's coming, isn't he?"

"Yes!" Rika smiled brightly and placed Zuri-chan on the bed.

The little rascal promptly ran over to Urumiya and climbed to the top of his head where he began searching for anything edible.

"I think —" Urumiya stopped as Zuri-chan's tail hit him in the eye. "I think I'll cook him and eat him myself." He made a wild grab for Zuri-chan, but the monkey was too quick. In no time, he had leaped off Urumiya's head and was settled safely and comfortably back in Rika's lap.

"Bully!" Rika stuck out her tongue. "You leave Zuri-chan alone!"

Urumiya's mouth fell open. "You're taking _his_ side!"

Rika put a finger to her chin and paused, "Um…Actually…Yes! Yes, I am!" She flashed him a great big smile before putting Zuri-chan under the blankets where he promptly curled up and fell asleep. "Now. I'm catching up on the sleep I _did not_ get. You…do whatever you want."

Urumiya glanced at the sky out the window. "But…it's dawn."

Rika answered sleepily from her position under the blankets. "Yes? And?"

"Well…Don't you want to go out and find the seishi?"

"Yes. And we will. Later on today."

"But…you don't want to go…like…now?"

Rika sat up again and glared at him. "Excuse me! Mister I-lost-the-bet-and-made-my-priestess-be-a-waitress-for-six-solid-straight-hours-after-making-her-walk-for-three-days-straight! I think I will be getting my full eight hours of sleep thank you!" She slammed her head back down on the pillow making Zuri-chan jump and squeak in his sleep.

"Chee…."

Urumiya stared at the small lump next to Rika with a mixture of disgust and hatred. "I can't believe the little sucker gets to sleep with her while I'm stuck on the floor." He turned and glared fiercely at the door the innkeeper had so hurriedly fled from. "Bastard…he knew the monkey would like her. What monkey wouldn't?"

With one last glare at Zuri-chan, Urumiya headed for his pallet to spend the rest of the night sleeping. When he got there, he noticed that his blanket was missing. Thinking it might have gotten kicked around in his struggle with Zuri-chan, he searched the room up and down. This time he was a little more careful about where he stuck his head of course. "Where is it?" Urumiya turned to the bed and poked Rika, "Rika…have you seen that blanket I was using?"

Rika stirred and turned to him, "Do wha…?"

"My blanket. Have you seen it?"

"The one I tossed you?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Zuri-chan is so small, I worried he'd get cold. So I'm letting him use it. See?" She pulled back the blanket to reveal Zuri-chan nestled in a little cave made from _his_ blanket.

For the second time that night Urumiya's jaw dropped. "You're giving the monkey my blanket?"

"He's smaller," Rika explained, turning back over to go to sleep.

Urumiya stood over Rika for a few seconds in disbelief. He was being mocked! Surely she wouldn't actually give his blanket away to a monkey! But the deep breathing coming from the bed assured him that she would and had. And was having no trouble sleeping over it.

"This is unbelievable…" a small laugh escaped him. "Oh, well. Nothing to do now except go to sleep." He settled down on the floor once more and tried to find a comfortable position. Just before he drifted off to sleep, a thought came to him; and he laughed softly again. "I've been dumped for a monkey. A real, live monkey…"

3


	29. City in the Sand

Wah! T-T you must forgive me for being so late with the update! But in my defense I've been terribly busy with exams. And then of course we went on vacation…Florida rocks by the way! But I have spent every spare moment away from the beach working on this. It's about Aya this time and will continue to be for at least another chapter or two. Heh…Aya's always fun to write about because she and Yuko are the ones likeliest to get into trouble. Followed closely by Rika and then poor Mieri. Not to say that other people around them don't get them in some scraps…(glares at Zuri-chan and Tasuki) They have their fair share. (rubs hands together) Now! On to the R&R's!

Silver: Hello! I mean! It's OBVIOUSLY a monkey! Who WOULDN'T guess that! (laughs) But yes…it's a monkey…And I shall look forward to the rabid squirrels! I really do feel sorry for Urumiya…but it's a story! What can I say? shrugs Anyway…hurry and update your story too! T-T

YG/Mint: You changed your name…? I was so confused at first! Bad girl! (slaps her hand) Don't scare me like that! You seriously live with a monkey! o.O Kick ASS! You go girl! And I shall be a sugar rush freak with you! (strikes heroic pose) And Hell rules! T-T I shall be the conqueror of Hell and you shall be stuck playing with your boring little sprites! So there!

ET: Urumiya and Rika…? 3 Maaaaybeeee….but you'll just have to read to find out. And btw…ANYONE would get upset if they got thrown over for a monkey. I would. Hee! Yes…Rika seems rather popular these days…BUT WHAT ABOUT AYA! She's way cooler! TT Oh, well. And thanks for being so understanding!

Leoanda Taylor: Can't remember if I shortened your name…so from now on you'll be LT, kay? Thank you so much! It's a really big honor to have someone say they understand the anime better (or at least a little) because of my story. It means I'm doing my job and sticking to the storyline as best I can. Which is a big thing for me cuz I'm a perfectionist when it comes to my stories as Silver can tell you! - It's really important for me to get their personalities just right and remember the names of all the towns and stuff. That's what's giving me a headache right now! Well, have fun with it and thanks again!

Aya sighed heavily as the connection on the tree snapped off. "Damn…well, at least I know she's okay…"

"Yes!" Tokaki piped up from behind her.

Turning around, Aya glared, "That's one out of how many friends? Three? It _could_ be two out of three, but no! Some idiot seishi had to just _leave_ a certain someone behind! It wouldn't occur to them that the forest around here is dark and cold and — I don't know — DANGEROUS!"

Tokaki winced. "I'm sorry! Gods! Shall I be berated for this forever!"

"Yes!" Aya glared at him again but with less anger and more amusement. "I shall have to conspire with Subaru to determine the exact torture you have earned for punishment."

Subaru's eyes sparkled. "I think I have a good idea."

Tokaki's face fell until he caught the teasing light in both girls' eyes. "You two are so alike it's scary."

Tatara shook his head as he smiled serenely. "No. They are only alike when it comes to you, I'm afraid, Tokaki. The rest is only your hopeful imagination."

Aya cocked her head to one side but didn't ask. "Okay. So what are we going to do now?"

"We must find the rest of the Byakko seishi," Tatara answered.

"Well, I knew that!" Aya sighed. "But where do we start? There must be thousands of people in Sairou! We'll never find them!"

"That's not true, Aya!" Subaru patted her shoulder comfortingly. "The seishi and the priestess are drawn to one another. If we just start out, I'm sure our paths will meet."

Aya looked around at her three warriors. "Alright, then! What are we waiting for?" She flashed them a smile. "Let's get going!"

Tatara appeared to be deep in thought. "We should head for a big city. It would be a likely place to start."

"What?" Tokaki feigned amazement. "The great mystic has run out of ready-made answers for us? I suppose you'll be left to bumble around like the rest of us mere mortals from now on." He cackled wickedly.

Aya popped him over the head absently. "Don't be so mean. So where is the nearest city from here?"

"Being a desert country, Sairou has few extremely large cities. Mostly, the cities are located where large water sources can be found. Since we are only barely on the edge of the border between Konan and Kutou, it would mean that we are far away from any city."

"And where is the closest one?" Aya looked at Tatara.

"There is a city near the Tsulari River," he mused. "It's nearer to Central Sairou. It's probably two or three week's journey from here."

"Well, that won't do at all!" Subaru exclaimed. "We've got to find the other warriors as soon as possible! We can't afford to take that long."

"Of course," Aya shot an amused glance at Tokaki, "There's a chance we won't have to…"

"Ah…" Tatara smiled a laughed softly. "You are a clever little priestess, aren't you?"

"Oh!" Subaru giggled. "And more than willing to use her seishi to the utmost, I see."

Tokaki had finally gotten the gist of where the conversation was going. "Yeah, yeah. I'd say she's rather manipulative."

"Now, Tokaki!" Aya admonished with a playful gleam in her eye. "That's not very nice at all!" She waltzed towards him and grabbed tightly to one arm. Subaru took the other, and Tatara was left with just placing a hand on his shoulder. "However," Aya's voice lost all hint of playing as she squeezed his arm hard and closed her eyes. "If you drop me or lose me anywhere along the way…" She left the threat hanging in the air.

"Ah, don't worry so much!" Tokaki winked and placed his arms around the girls. "This ride should prove to be rather interesting!" As he spoke, both hands dipped dangerously low; and the smack of hands on flesh could be heard even after the foursome disappeared.

"Ow!" the young man with white hair let go abruptly of the two pretty girls at his side to grab both cheeks. "That hurt dammit!"

"It was supposed to!" the blonde on his left answered pertly. "You sexist pig!"

The equally white haired girl on the right put both hands on her hips and just glared. "You'd think that after more than a century, you'd learn to stop with your tricks!"

A tall, quiet looking man behind the first with long brown hair sighed. "What is it about you that you must antagonize them so, Tokaki?"

Tokaki grinned. "I can't help it! The ladies just keep getting prettier and prettier."

The few passersby may have wondered at the sudden appearance of the four young people from an alley that they had previously thought empty. But if they did, they made no comment, and continued on their way as usual.

"So what now?" Aya asked. Then she scowled. "I'm so tired of saying that. I feel like a broken record!"

"What's a record?" Subaru asked with interest.

"It's a device that repeats what is put onto it. A broken one would repeat the same thing over and over and over."

"Ah," Subaru nodded, obviously not understanding at all.

"We really should find you some clothes to wear, Aya," Tatara pointed out. "Though they seem to be quite adequate for this climate, they do tend to stick out."

Aya sighed as she looked down at her spaghetti string shirt and cheerleading shorts. "Yeah, I guess you're right. So where can I find some decent clothes?"

Subaru pointed to the growing crowd of people in the streets. They seemed to be setting something up all along the road. "Have you noticed that there are a lot of people up for it being not too far past dawn?" she asked.

Tokaki lifted his head and looked, "Hmm. You're right. Market day?"

"Market day," Subaru affirmed with a nod.

"So all we have to do is buy some clothes from them!" Aya smiled. "Oh, I don't have any of the currency."

"We do," Tatara reminded her.

Aya frowned, "I don't like using other people's money."

"But it isn't other people. It's your seishi," Subaru hastened to add. "We are sent by Byakko to protect you. We can't do that as well if you stick out like a sore thumb."

"But…" Aya still hesitated. In her mind, owing others favors was just another way for them to gain power over her. Even if it was a friend, Aya would still have an obligation in her own mind that she couldn't just turn her back on. "I'm not sure. But it doesn't look like I have much choice," she finally admitted. "I'm getting tired of being stared at."

"So you boys stay right here, and we'll find something decent for you to wear," Subaru bustled off with Aya in tow.

Ten minutes later they came back. Only this time, Aya was in front; and she looked mad. "Is this what you people call decent!" Aya demanded as soon as she was within earshot of the guys. "I feel almost as naked as when I was wearing that stupid harem girl's outfit!"

"Aya, it's a desert country!" Subaru struggled to keep up with Aya's longer strides. "They're not going to have much in the way of covering!"

"SO!" Aya came to a sudden halt in front of an admiring Tokaki and amused Tatara.

The clothes she now had on where mostly sheer. The soft blue material flowed over her arms and legs, only becoming opaque over her breasts and covering the least amount possible below that. This, of course, meant that her belly ring was showing causing her to look even more the part of an errant gypsy.

"I think it becomes you," Tokaki said with a snicker as he sneaked yet another peek at Aya's overflowing bosom. "Very nice."

Subaru cast him a frustrated glare, but it was Tatara who saved the situation. "Suzuno was the same way when she first donned the clothing of our country," he said with bowed head and a sad smile. "She said she was shocked that the women of this country would allow themselves to be garbed this way." He looked up, "But it is only the wealthy and noble women who are allowed to dress as you and Suzuno dressed. In this way, we might be able to find information easier than if they thought us mere commoners."

"Oh," Aya shifted uncomfortably. It seemed so childish and petty to protest now. She gazed up at Tatara with newfound respect. That's probably exactly how he wanted her to feel. "Then, I suppose I have little choice. Any other suggestions?"

"I believe we should find an inn in which to lodge," Tatara said with his usual logic.

"Sounds good to me!" Aya stretched and yawned. "I'm kinda tired, too. I didn't get very much sleep last night trying to search for Rika."

"And that's our fault, how?" Tokaki muttered.

"I heard that," Aya quipped as she strolled down the street. "Now where could we find an inn?"

"How about that building right there with the sign that says 'Inn'?" Tokaki asked with a wide grin.

Aya looked up and sure enough there above her head was a sign reading 'Inn'. With a mock glare in Tokaki's direction, she turned and went inside. It was much as she had expected an Ancient Chinese inn to be. Bare of all the fun stuff in life. "Wah!" she wailed upon witnessing the crude tables and benches in the room. "This is no fair! I'll die of boredom! There's no Playstation, no internet! There's not even a TV!"

Her seishi were confused as to her dilemma, but they tried to cheer her up. "We could perhaps interest you in a game?" Tatara asked gently.

Aya sniffed, enjoying herself immensely. "Well…I suppose…What kind of game?" she asked, eyes shining.

"Well, there are several games we could play," Tokaki nodded with the air of one in his area of expertise. "There are the regular games and the gambling games —"

"Gambling," Aya cut in without a moment's hesitation.

"— Okay…gambling it is," Tokaki grinned while Subaru just shook her head. Tatara seemed only amused. "Now the easiest games are the dice games."

Aya shrugged. "Sure. I don't know anything about it anyway."

"So…there is one where the one to roll the highest number wins."

"Too boring."

It was Tokaki's turn to shrug, "Then there is the game where you try to guess whether the total will be odd or even."

A huge sigh burst forth from Aya's lips. "Ya'll need to reassess what's fun around here! Those games are rather dull. They take no skill at all!" A thought occurred to her that brought a sly smile to her face. "But then again…there is one way to spice up even the most boring of games…"

"What is it?" Tokaki asked, interested.

But Aya was thinking to herself and paying him no attention. "Yes! This is it! I mean, it even spiced up Go Fish. If it can spice up _that_ game, we're in good shape."

"What is it you're planning, Aya?" Subaru asked coming closer despite herself.

Aya rubbed her hands together. "I suppose it's useless to ask if you've ever heard of strip poker?"

4


	30. Gambling Games

Mwuhahahahaha! Greetings! I am back! This chapter was so much fun to write! It's all about people taking off their clothes! Heh! Just kidding! But it does have a lot of that too…TT Too bad this isn't a manga…Tokaki would look totally hott…But you'll have to read to see. Hmm…not much else to say really. You'll be seeing a very different side of Aya. This is where all the priestesses' lives are revealed and everything becomes all soap-opera-ish. (rolls eyes) Yeah…I'll try to keep that to a minimum. Anyway! Time for some more R&R!

Silver:LOL of course! The whole point of this is to make Tokaki happy. (snort) Not really. I've actually played strip poker….and since I have no clue how to play…yeah…I lost out rather quickly. But no worries! The boys were all wimps and made us stop with the "undergarments" as they called them (wink) And I shall not give in to your threats! (glare) Oh…and good luck with your chapters…I know it's a bitch trying to make everything connect!

Mint:Heh…Yes! You are psychic! Games should all automatically lead to some form of "strip poker"! And no! Not rose petals! It tasted like….STRAWBERRIES! That is the only thing good enough! Strawberries rock! Next to them rose petals are like…non-chocolate stuff! 3 Death to all foods but chocolate and strawberries! Yes! O.O Your brother is the monkey? You should cage him and sell tickets for people to throw peanuts and stuff at him…Or try and sell him to a circus…And you shall be El Presidente of the Sugar Rush Freaks…SRF for short! I shall of course take over the position of VP! Perhaps we can invite Silver to be Treasurer…

Lady Sakaya: Yes…Tokaki would of course love this game! But unfortunately for Aya…she has not the luxury of 15 t-shirts… 3 Although I'm sure it would be hilarious if I did that the next time we play…(bows) I thank you… 3

Saga:O.O Wow! I'm so glad you liked it! This chappie won't have as much hilarious stuff I'm sorry to say…but stay tuned to future ones!

Shondrial:Oh hush! You actually play it so you have no room to talk! And of course Rika picks on Urumiya! She's a mean, nasty thing! She doesn't deserve Zuri-chan!

Leoanda:(bows) Thank you for the compliment! Certain people (coughSilvercough) think that being a perfectionist is bad! (glares at certain people) But I choose to embrace my weirdness. So there! (sticks out tongue at certain people)

Emarista:T-T Aya's not crazy! She's just…I don't know…different! And Rika's way worse! Ya'll just don't know it yet! LOL Yeah…I'm not sure if that time period can handle a game like strip poker….But it'll certainly make it more interesting in History class! Lol I'm sorry! I can't help it! My humorous nature certainly seems to be infecting a lot of people….o.O I wonder if there's a vaccine for that….I plan on sticking with Aya for awhile…Then Yuko…then Meiri…then back to Rika…etc. I try to make them take turns but they're so pushy sometimes!

Tokaki raised a brow, "Strip poker? No….but I like the sound of it!"

Subaru's pretty face clouded for a moment. "Strip poker? Aya, do you really think — "

"Of course, I think!" Aya smiled happily. "Otherwise I wouldn't have suggested it! Now! We pick one of the dice games — the one with guessing the total will do — and whoever loses…." Aya grinned, "…has to take off one article of clothing. The last one naked wins the game."

Tatara groaned. "It's like having another Tokaki around…a _female_ Tokaki…"

"Oh, it's all fun and games!" Aya insisted. "It'll be fun!"

"Who's in?" Tokaki asked with a chuckle. "I volunteer!"

"Me, too, of course," Aya nodded. She looked at the other two.

"Come on, Subaru!" Tokaki begged shamelessly. "It'll be fun!"

Subaru looked at first one then the other. She sighed, "Very well, then. I must be losing my mind. Having a younger body is messing with my good sense."

"You coming, too, Tatara?" Aya turned on her most innocent face.

Tatara hesitated — but in the end even he could not stand up to The Face. "Since my priestess bids me. And you need someone in the game who has sense."

"Hey!" Subaru protested.

"No offense meant to you, of course," Tatara bowed slightly.

"Yes!" Aya jumped a little and clapped her hands. "Now let's get this game started!"

All four of them seated themselves in an out of the way table. Tokaki magically produced some die. "Here we are!" he announced, producing them with a flourish.

"Where did you get those?" Subaru asked suspiciously.

"Found them on the floor?" he smiled innocently.

"Try that on someone who hasn't been living with you for so many years," she muttered to herself since Tokaki wasn't listening anymore.

Aya grinned widely and held up the die she'd gotten from Tokaki, "Let's get this party started, shall we? I call odds."

"Evens," Tokaki immediately countered.

"Evens," Tatara answered after a minute.

"Um….evens," Subaru grinned apologetically at Aya.

Aya sniffed. "I see how it's going to be. Gang up on me then!" She rolled the die with a theatrical twist of her hand. Four sets of eyes watched as the die tumbled and rolled to equal…six."

"Damn," Aya scowled and glanced down at her one-piece outfit. "Hmmm…" she glanced around until she spotted a burly looking farmer with a thick knife at his side. "Can I borrow this? Thank you!" Aya grabbed the knife before the man could properly answer. But he was good natured and just shrugged, coming over to watch the game. With a quick flick of her wrist, the sheer sleeve on her right arm fluttered to the floor. "One," she smirked at the others.

"Something tells me I just got cheated," Tokaki growled.

Subaru gasped, "Aya! You'll ruin your clothes!"

Aya shrugged. "I won't cut anything _too_ important. Just the other stuff."

Tatara sighed, though whether it was one of relief or frustration no one knew, "I tremble to think of what you might consider 'other stuff'."

"Let's just keep playing," Aya handed the die to Subaru, who was on her left. "Odds."

"Odds," Tokaki grinned at her.

"Odds!" Subaru giggled a bit, getting into the game.

"Evens."

Subaru rolled the die quickly and efficiently. They danced dangerously close to the edge but stayed on the table. Eventually, they stopped. Two. "Oh!" Subaru's hand shot up to her mouth. "I lost!" She slowly removed one slipper. "There."

"Yes!" Tokaki's grin was huge. He didn't seem at all perturbed that he two was taking off his vest.

"Next roll," Aya sighed as she slit the other sleeve. More people had gathered around to watch this strange version of the game.

Tatara rolled next. "Evens," he smiled.

"Evens," Tokaki nodded.

"Odds," Subaru and Aya both flashed each other a quick smile.

The die landed for a total of ten. Aya and Subaru both reluctantly took — or sliced — off another piece of clothing. The game continued in this vein with Aya and Subaru losing consistently and Tatara always winning. Soon an entire crowd was around the table, mostly men here to see Subaru and Aya — neither of whom were very appreciative of the attention their 'gifts' brought them.

Finally, Aya sat with only her underwear — which she had refused to take off — the very small and tight upper portion of the outfit now divest of any sheer material, and a scowl on her face. Subaru, for her part, had only what she called underwear and the bindings that she used to keep her breasts in check. Tokaki sat in only his pants. Earlier, he had informed the girls laughingly that _he_ did not wear underwear.

"I believe we should end the game here and declare me the winner," Tatara finally mentioned, trying his best to hide his smiles.

This brought many protests from the crowd of men gathered around them, Tokaki included. Aya glared at them all, and they wisely quieted. "This sucks!" she exclaimed with heat. "I hate how bad I suck at these games! Cards, dice; it doesn't matter! I always lose!" She crossed her arms which had the unnoticed effect of raising her breasts. Well, unnoticed by Aya.

A wide grin split Tokaki's face as it had so many times since he'd found his priestess. "I say we play on."

Subaru smiled playfully, "If we retire now, it will be time for bed."

Aya groaned and threw up her hands, rising from her seat. "Go! I beg you! Go and do…whatever it is you do before you make me gag!"

"Is that hidden desire I sense?" Tokaki asked with a laugh. "I'm sure I could help you with that."

Aya walked calmly over and punched him hard on the shoulder. "Down, boy. Go have fun with Subaru, but leave me out of it, please."

Tokaki laughed as he took in the view. "Sure."

Aya realized what he was up to and glared. "Keep your eyes where they belong, lecher."

"Now, now," Tatara ever the peacemaker cut in quickly. "Let's retire for the evening. We have a long day ahead of us."

Aya sighed and rolled her eyes. "That's true. God! I hate the mornings!"

A hand suddenly found its way onto her butt. "Hey, honey, leaving so soon?"

For a moment, Aya was motionless with shock while the drunken man continued to fondle her. Then her seishi got considerably worried as she turned first white then red with rage.

"You…BASTARD!" Aya swung around, punching the man right in the nose. A sickening crunch was heard as her fist connected and the man tumbled to the ground.

"Bitch!" he swore as he regained his feet. Blood streamed from his nose, and he squared around to face her.

Tokaki started forward, but Tatara held him back. "This is something she has to deal with herself. I don't think she would thank us for interfering."

Subaru smiled sadly as she nodded her agreement, "She is nothing like Suzuno."

"I wouldn't want her to be," Tatara said quietly.

"You broke my nose!" the man was now quite sober from the pain and mad. "I'll teach you a lesson!"

Aya stood there calmly. "I don't like to be touched, sir," she said in a cold voice. "And I would thank you if you left me and my party alone."

"So prim and proper!" the man sneered. "I'll shatter that calm before I'm through."

Aya smiled a frighteningly cruel smile. "Sir, I doubt you could top the torture I've already gone through. If you'd like to try, I take no responsibility for the consequences."


	31. Saved by a Child

Hee! Just cause the last one kinda didn't have a lot of action in it…I've decided to give you 2 chapters at once! Aren't you just lucky I found all that time? I'm totally failing AP Bio cuz of this…T-T But it's to be my career so…yeah…Anyway…like I've told Silver a million times: I SUCK AT FIGHT SCENES! So please don't blame me. And before you get the wrong idea…Aya is not a crazed lunatic. Also…please remember that these characters ARE NOT REAL PEOPLE. They are merely based upon the basic character of them…so…don't think me or any of my friends is truly this psycho. In the interest of a good story I must put them through some shitty stuff. 3 Yep. That's about it. ENJOY!

Her seishi watched wide-eyed. Even Tatara was a bit taken aback. "She is…not even truly angry," he whispered, amazed.

"What!" Tokaki stared at the blonde haired girl. "But she's about to kick his ass!"

Subaru shook her head, "I cannot believe that."

Tatara looked at his companions closely. "Before I was summoned back here, Byakko himself told me of her."

"Byakko!" Subaru and Tokaki gasped.

"She is a girl who shows few emotions — "

"I beg to differ!" Tokaki interrupted remembering her anger over Rika.

"— no emotions that aren't a planned façade," Tatara finished gravely. "She keeps her real emotions hidden from even those closest to her. You can imagine the build up that would create."

"How does she survive?" Subaru burst looking at her priestess in a new light. "Without an outlet for her feelings, she's a bomb just waiting to go off!"

"Then you see the problem," Tatara nodded. "She has two modes of anger. Irritated. And enraged. You can easily see which this case falls under."

All three watched as Aya calmly faced down the man who was twice her size. "I'd hate to see her _really_ pissed off," Tokaki muttered.

"What should I do with her first?" the man asked laughingly of his friends. "A broken nose for mine?"

"No!" someone from the crowd shouted. "Her face is too pretty to mess up!"

"How about an arm then? Since that's what she used to break it with?" he took a step towards Aya.

She, for her part, said not a word. She looked at him.

"Aren't you gonna ask me to stop? Tell me not to hurt you?" Everyone laughed.

"Are you going to do this or not?" she asked. "If you won't start it, I will." She walked forward with long, precise strides. Within moments, she stood before him. Swinging before he could react to her presence, Aya smashed him in the cheek.

The man recovered quickly. Now far more wary, he circled her. She turned slowly to always keep him ahead of her. She watched him closely. Suddenly, she saw his muscles bunch for the attack. She side stepped just in time as he rushed past, planning on tackling her to the ground. Before he got up, Aya rushed in and delivered a swift kick to his midsection. In an instant, she was back out, waiting for him to rise.

"That's cheating, bitch," the man gasped as he rose. "You should wait till I get up."

"I don't see how taking advantage of an enemy's weakness is cheating," she replied calmly. "I reserve my own Code of Honor for those who deserve it."

"We'll see how you like this then!" the man charged without warning, this time managing to catch Aya with a stray fist in the stomach.

She doubled over but jumped quickly to the side to avoid the second swing. Straightening, she smiled for the second time. This one seemed just as chilly as the last. "That was good. It's been a while since anyone hit me. Most seem to think that they shouldn't hit girls."

The man turned to face her. "All's fair, right?"

Aya nodded and smiled disarmingly, "Now you're getting it!"

For a while the two danced around, each trying but failing to land a decent hit. Tokaki, Subaru, and Tatara looked on silently. "Should we step in?" Subaru asked tentatively. "She can't keep this up forever, and I hate to see her like this. It…doesn't seem right."

"I agree with Subaru," Tokaki for once was totally serious. "She was so carefree and unrestrained. It's like an entirely different person has taken over."

"It's likely the stress," Tatara winced as Aya landed a blow on the man's chin that sent him stumbling into a table. "Think of all that she's gone through. This is likely the only way she can deal with it all."

"Well, I think it needs to stop!" Subaru stomped her foot. "It's ridiculous to tell us that we can't interfere just because she might throw a fit! Well, let her!"

"I agree," a small voice to Subaru's right spoke up. A small boy of about eight years old looked up at her with a serious expression. "She has been given enough time. It's time to end it."

Subaru gazed quizzically at him. Something about his eyes…They were almond shaped. Almost like — Subaru gasped.

The boy smiled a little. "Hello, Subaru." He turned towards the battle. It was nearing an end. Aya was virtually unscathed, but the man — in addition to his broken nose — was bleeding from a small cut on his forehead. Even now he spit out blood collecting in his mouth from his shredded lips.

"Please, take your beating and go home," Aya glared at him. Gone was the cold and distant fighter. Her anger had disappeared some time during the battle. Now all she wanted to do was take a nice and long hot bath and go to bed.

"I'll kill you!" the man had lost all reason. He couldn't fathom how this mere girl had managed to evade him much less beat him as she had. He charged towards her, fist upraised.

Aya sighed and readied herself, but a small boy stepped before her. "Priestess, you really shouldn't do this," he scolded sounding much older than he looked. "It'll bring unwanted attention."

"Out of my way!" the man cried.

The boy turned in his direction. Just before impact, the boy sprang back to grab Aya by the wrist. Before she could react, darkness enveloped her; and she was suddenly standing across the room. The little boy stood silently, holding her hand as if nothing unusual had just happened.

Across the room, the man kept going past where they had once been standing and crashed into the wall. His head slammed into the wall, knocking him unconscious. "Finally!" Aya muttered. "I thought he was never going to go down!"

The crowd of people around them stood looking at their fallen champion. He had always been a bit of a bully, but now a slip of a girl had beaten him silly! His friends gathered themselves enough to make there way towards the door before they were recognized. Two stopped long enough to pick the man up and drag him out. After a few seconds, the rest of the people started to move along, casting incredulous glances Aya's way.

"Okay…" Aya looked at the little boy. "It's time you explained to me how we got all the way across the room."

The boy said nothing but watched as the other three made their way across the room. "What happened to you?" Subaru cried.

Aya started to answer, but it was the little boy who responded. "Nothing has happened."

"You're…a little smaller than I remember you," Tokaki chuckled and grinned rakishly.

"Ah…" Tatara walked up, collected and unfazed as always, Aya noticed. "You were reborn."

"Yes," the boy nodded. "I merely regained my memories. And my powers apparently."

"You telling me you didn't know if that was going to work!" Tokaki's jaw dropped.

The boy shrugged in a way that was disconcerting for someone his size and apparent age. "She needed help. I could only try, after all."

"Um, excuse me!" Aya had her head cocked and both hands on her hip. Her hair had flown out of its customary ponytail and now framed her scowl perfectly. "Since when did I say I needed help? Especially not from some little kid whose parent's I should be hitting up for babysitting money! And I'd also like an explanation as to how this kid knows you!"

"Not demanding at all, is she?" Tokaki asked winking at the boy.

"Subaru, if you would please fix this…problem before we continue?" the boy looked up at her expectantly.

"What — Oh!" Subaru smiled. "Of course! Give me just a minute…" she closed her eyes and frowned a bit.

Before Aya's eyes, the boy grew taller and — well, he grew up considerably. Now he was much taller than her — at least six feet. His jet black hair had grown out until — even in its neat braid — it nearly reached his butt. Dark brown almond shaped eyes smiled serenely down at her. The little boy now appeared to be around eighteen years old. A considerable improvement as far as Aya was concerned "Hello, Priestess. I am the seishi Kokie."

3


	32. Moving On

Ah! Yes! I'm finally back! I DO apologize for taking so long. I know ya'll must hate me…T-T…but hopefully this chapter will cheer you up. It's not much really. But I really love the Byakko and Genbu seishi, so I tend to have more fun with them! (bows) I once again apologize for taking so long…(glares at homework)…I'll try to get the next one up fast. And guess what? I ONLY HAVE 25 MORE DAYS LEFT OF SCHOOL! (bursts into insane and slightly scary laughter) Ahem! Now…on the R&R's…

Mint:Girl you are so crazy…yes…i really wasn't happy with the way that emotion thing turned out either XP…so let me try to explain it better…Aya basically puts up this big front. She's very ditzy and bitchy most of the time…but that's not how she's actually feeling. It's like a mask that she keeps on to confuse people and keep herself hidden. There. Is that better? Yes…when I thought of Kokie I thought of a truly Asian looking person. And he's really shy and quiet. Even more so than Tatara. XD He's so CUTE!

Silver:Meh…Fight scenes are one thing that I hate trying to write about. Why, you ask? Because they're meant to be SEEN not READ! I can see it so perfectly in my head and when I try to write it down…T-T…it goes down hill from there. But thank you. I shall use you to preen my ego. And of course they're all tall! They're seishi! That makes them all special. Like all the seishi are "blessed" by their gods….(giggle)…take that how you will…Yeah…Tatara won…I knew that Aya sucked at card games…And Subaru probably wouldn't be very good either. And Tokaki…would want the others to lose just so he could see them take their clothes off….(runs away from pitchforks) TRAITOR!

LT:Hey! Thanks so much! It's okay if you review them together! (shrugs) Like I care…As long as you read them and enjoy em I'm happy!

ET:O.O No! It's okay! Don't worry about it…really…no need to do that…And Miboshi! Really! I always thought of Miboshi as…quietly evil or something. Kokie's just…quiet. And shy. T-T But…whatever you think…lol

Shondrial:Yes! I am crazy! What else did you expect! Besides…what fun would it be if I were normal…o.O? Yes! We shall work on fight scenes TOGETHER! And I've posted now…where's your story! (glares)

Aya's eyes were the size of small saucers. "You…you got big!"

Subaru laughed. "That's right! We've never properly explained our powers to you, have we, Aya?"

Aya — eyes still wide — shook her head, "No! I know about Tokaki's teleporting thingy and that's it!"

"Well!" Subaru spread her hands in front of her with a flourish. "My seishi power is the ability to control the time of a person's body."

"And that would mean…?"

"I can age anyone I choose. Or I can keep them from ageing like I did with Tatara. I let him keep his young body so that he could properly guard the Shinzaho until Miaka and the Suzaku Seven came to claim it."

Tatara nodded. "Yes...my power is the ability to control plants."

Aya gazed at them all suspiciously. Then, suddenly, she shrugged. "Cool. Works for me. And explain your powers," Aya turned to Kokie. "You claim to be a seishi."

Kokie nodded. "I have the ability to control shadows, Lady Priestess."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Aya threw up her hands. "What did you just say!"

Kokie looked confused, "I said I have the ability to —"

"No!" Aya shook her head. "What did you just call me!"

"I —" Kokie's smooth olive face twisted in confusion.

Tatara quickly moved over to whisper in his ear, "This priestess is a little different than the last. Please don't call her anything but Aya. For your sake and ours."

Kokie's face cleared and resumed his normal serene expression. "I see. Well, then…Aya. I apologize."

Aya shrugged. "Meh…It's okay." She glared at Tatara, "But I was looking forward to breaking you in…"

Kokie allowed a small smile to show, "Was there anything else you wanted to ask me about, Aya?"

"How in the world did we get all the way across the room so fast? I don't even remember moving…"

"I am a manipulator of shadows. I merely called for the shadows to gather underneath us and at a chosen spot across the room. Then…well, the nearest explanation would be that I created a sort of path between the two so that we could travel between."

"Uh…huh…" Aya couldn't help but look skeptical. "Whatever you want to call it, that was cool! We could do so much stuff with that kinda of power…" Her eyes glazed over, and her seishi realized that whatever she was thinking of would not be in the best interests of finding the Byakko Seven.

"Perhaps it would now be time to go to bed?" Tatara suggested diplomatically.

"What…? We can't rob even one bank before bedtime?" Aya teased.

"What's a bank?" Tokaki asked, puzzled.

"It's a place where everyone stores all their money."

Tokaki turned to Subaru, "I like Aya's plan. She is our priestess."

Subaru glared at him and then at Aya. "You two are hopeless. Get up to the rooms before I have to slap you, Tokaki!"

"Since Kokie needs a room now, too, I also volunteer to sleep with the girls," Tokaki raised his hand like a schoolchild. In the time it took for Kokie to smile, Tokaki sported twin handprints on each side of his face.

"Come along, Subaru," Aya sniffed. "I think it's about time we left."

Subaru linked arms with Aya, and together they stalked up the stairs. "I think you're right, Aya."

As the girls disappeared into a bedroom to the right of the staircase, Tokaki sighed. "Nothing has changed, I suppose. Only this time, the priestess is going to slap me, too. It's not fair I tell you! He raised a hand towards the upper bedrooms. "Why can't this priestess be meek and submissive like the last one!"

"I'm not sure that would matter in the least, my old friend," Tatara chuckled.

"Shall we retire, then?" Kokie motioned towards the steps. He started up, followed by Tatara.

With one last sigh and a glance towards the girls' bedroom, Tokaki followed along behind them. But before they walked into their own bedroom to the left of the stairs, he couldn't help but add, "I know one thing. I'm not sleeping on the floor."

Aya sat up in bed, stretching her arms with a groan. She glanced at Subaru sleeping peacefully beside her. With a glance out the window, she realized that it was still quite early. _I might as well get up. It's not like I'm going to go to sleep again._ With that thought to spur her, Aya quietly extricated herself from the bed, careful not to awaken the sleeping Subaru.

_There. Maybe now I can enjoy a few minutes alone._ Aya crept to the window and gazed out for several minutes. Even now, only a few hours past dawn, people were beginning to come out of their houses and go about their daily business. _That makes sense, I suppose_, Aya mused. _This is a desert town. They probably want to get everything done before the heat of the day._

This turned her thoughts to the people of this country. _People I'm supposed to be protecting. Somehow I'm supposed to not only save them from their troubles, but discover what the troubles are in the first place!_ She scowled. _That's asking a little much, I would think!_

She watched as a mother led her small child by the hand across the street that was quickly filling up with people. The mother had a slight frown on her face, obviously worried about all the different things she had to do that day. But the child laughed at a dog begging for scraps. It was obvious that he didn't yet realize all the work his mother had to go through to care for him. _I suppose that's what I'm here for_, Aya realized with a flash of insight. _I'm supposed to mother these poor people from things they really can't understand or do anything about if they _could_ understand. So…That's it._

"What are you staring at so intently?" a voice behind her caused Aya to jump.

"Oh! Subaru…it's you," Aya returned her gaze to the people outside. "I'm not thinking about anything in particular. Just watching. Her gaze returned to the mother and child. The mother kept the little boy close to her side as she went about her daily chores.

Subaru gazed at Aya for a time before shrugging slightly to herself. If she wanted to tell her, eventually, she would. Until that time, Subaru intended to keep close watch on Aya at all times. "Are you ready to go then?"

Aya started again and turned swiftly around to face Subaru. "Yeah! Where are we headed next?"

"Well…" Subaru hesitated. "It would probably be better if we consulted with everyone before we make any decisions."

"I'm here, ladies!" Tokaki's voice startled both of them just as the door slammed open. "Are you having a good morning so far?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye upon seeing them up by the window.

"Tokaki, you beast!" Subaru advanced upon her husband. "What if we'd been asleep? Or undressed?"

Tokaki's face fell. "Yeah…I was kinda hoping…But I didn't know you'd both be up so damn early."

Aya glared. "Please, don't mess with me in the morning. I'm not a morning person."

Tokaki remembered the feel of her palm on his cheek. And that was just when she slapped him…"Yeah!" he smiled rakishly at her. "Gotcha!"

Aya heaved an irritated sigh and started for the door. "Let's get this show on the road, shall we? I miss my Midol already…"

Subaru and Tokaki trailed in her formidable wake. "What's Midol?" Tokaki whispered to Subaru.

Subaru shrugged, "Probably a weapon of some sort."

"Ah…" Tokaki nodded knowingly. "No doubt."

Aya headed down the steps trying to remember that these were her seishi. Not just anyone that she could kill. Sighing, she tried to keep her temper in check. She hadn't lied to Tokaki. She really did get easily irritated in the morning. Nights were more her thing.

"Aya," Tatara and Kokie both nodded solemnly. "I trust you had a restful sleep?" Tatara's eyes held the hint of a smile as he saw her pained expression.

"No…yes…I don't know," she confessed, shrugging. "I'm not used to sleeping with someone, and it kinda bothered me. But my rest was good enough. Where are we headed to next?"

Subaru suddenly appeared at her shoulder, making Aya wonder — blushing at the thought — if Subaru had heard her complaints. "Perhaps we should just head to the next large city?" she asked. "The concentration of people makes it likely that at least one of the seishi will be there."

Tokaki nodded. "Yeah. It should be lots of fun! We can show Aya around the country, so to speak."

Aya felt the beginnings of grin, "Itching to paint the town red, Tokaki?"

"No," he shook his head, confused. "I'd rather just party."

This time it was Aya who shook her head, "Sorry. I forgot. You guys don't know all the cute little sayings we have, do you?"

Kokie looked gravely upon her, "I have a feeling that 'painting the town' is not something we should allow Tokaki to do."

Aya burst out laughing, surprising them all. "Ha! That would be an understatement, my friend!" she chortled gleefully.

"Can we get started?" Tatara chided gently. "We're getting no where fast."

Aya slowly calmed herself with visible effort, "Yes, yes. Let's get going. Should we buy some supplies first?"

Tatara looked thoughtful, "Perhaps a few. We'll likely run across some nomadic trading clans, but we can't take any chances. There's always the possibility that we won't."

"We should also take weapons," Kokie advised. "There have been rumors of bandits in the area. The thought of going anywhere without weapons disturbs me."

Tokaki snorted, "This coming from a guy who was only ten years old yesterday." He snickered.

"Eleven, actually," Kokie corrected with his serene smile. "I was a bit small for my age."

"I vote we get weapons!" Aya broke in, raising her hand high in the air. Her eyes shone with a mischievous light.

"I vote we don't give them to her!" Tokaki also raised his hand. "Oof!" he grunted as Aya slapped him on his stomach.  
"No comments from the peanut section," she growled.

"I changed my mind," he wheezed, "She gets a weapon."

Subaru giggled, "Then it's settled! We'll all get some weapons and head off for the City of Gold!"

4


	33. Desert Travel

Ah…back again! So sorry that it took so long. But to make up for it, this chapter's a bit longer than usual. Finally! We've reached the end of Aya's part for now! I thought the girl was going to hog the camera forever! So for those of you who have been interested in the other priestesses…they're coming on! The next few chapters will be featuring Mieri again. They're on their way to see Taitsukun. Oh! Ya'll have to wish me good luck! My softball team has made it to the finals for South State! Which – I may add - has never happened in the history of the team! So now we have to play the State Champions from last year…T-T Wish us luck…please! Now on to R&R's:

**Silver**:quickly throws away paint Please….don't tempt him…(laughs) Yes…weapons are man's best friend. You're gonna like them I think. I tried really hard to figure out weapons that would fit their personalities and abilities. Though Tokaki's weapon was already decided by Watase-san

**Lady Sakaya**:O.O you were fighting with your brother with swords…? COOLNESS! I love swords…besides shuriken they're my favorite weapons!

**Mint Drop**:Yay! I'm glad you're not confoosled any more! I knew when I wrote that part that no one was going to understand…I think you were just the only one brave enough to ask…Hee! - I now have only 10 days of school till exams! Unfortunately…I have lots of major projects to complete…T-T Wishie me luck!

**LT**: Duh! Of course Tokaki is going to continue to be tortured! It's part of my comic relief plan! Actually, Aya just finds him annoying-but-lovable and Subaru…has been torturing him for decades…

**ET:**LOL! Well! I think you'll be plenty pleased with her weapon…I hope…And yes actually…after this next seishi I was planning on having your charie join the group. And then of course dun dun DUN we'll meet Hikitsu!

**nuriko-4-ever**:Wow! Congratulations! You're certainly a dedicated reader! And so many questions! Lol…if you want some answers you can message me on MSN under Death's Mistress. There! Now here is your requested update! Have fun!

"Where is that?" Aya asked.

"It's nearer to Genbu. Quite a bit north of here actually," Tatara paused. "I think the weapons shop is this way." He led the way out of the inn and down the small alleyway to their left.

Aya gazed around in open curiosity. It wasn't likely she was ever going to come back, and she wanted to at least take some _mental_ pictures. "Wow…" she breathed as she watched all the people scurry along like ants. The colors and abstract design of their clothing caught Aya's eye as well as her imagination. She was busy thinking of the stir she could cause at their school if she wore one of _those_ dresses. _The headmaster would never forgive me,_ she thought without shame and a wicked grin.

"Here we are!" Tatara exclaimed, halting in front of a very ordinary looking shop. "Hasn't changed a bit, eh, Subaru?"

Subaru sighed happily. "Not in any way! I wonder if Damar still runs the place?"

Tokaki shrugged. "It's possible. Of course, his son could well have taken over by now…"

"This is it?" Aya asked dubiously after taking a look around the dank and dirty alley. "Are you sure?"

"As much as possible," Tokaki nodded. "I mean it's not like we've been back for the last century or so."

"True…" Aya admitted with a grin.

"Can we go inside?" Kokie asked in amusement. "Or are we going to stand here all day reminiscing?"

"Oh!" Subaru started. "Let's go in, of course!" She pushed past Tatara and entered the shop.

"Well, hello!" an old man, obviously blind, greeted them from his chair. "What can I get for you today?"

"It's been awhile, Damar…" Subaru smiled gently.

"Eh!" the man jumped, "Can it be? Is that Lady Subaru I hear? Surely, my ears have failed me now as well as my eyes!"

"Naw!" Tokaki was grinning wildly. "Your ears are sharp as ever, old man!"

"Heh!" Damar relaxed into his chair, a grin splitting his face. "Now I know I'm going mad. I believe I swore that Tokaki must never show his face in my shop again!"

"Then it's a good thing I'm not _showing_ anything, isn't it?" Tokaki retorted.

"Will you two hush?" Subaru snapped. "We need to get going!"

"My apologies, Lady Subaru," Damar bowed his bald head. "What is it you wish?"

"We need weapons for the five of us," Subaru explained. "Do you think you can help us?"

While Subaru and Damar discussed weaponry and Tokaki sulked, Aya leaned nearer to Tatara. "What's up between those three?"

Tatara understood her curiosity and answered quickly and quietly. "Damar and Tokaki were both in love with Subaru. They all three were born here in Tsularia. Because they were both Byakko seishi, Subaru and Tokaki shared something that Damar never could. So she ended up with Tokaki. It seems that Damar has forgiven him after all these years"

"Ah," Aya nodded in understanding. "A love triangle. Coolness."

Tatara glanced at her in amusement but was interrupted by the closing of the deal.

"Ha!" Subaru threw up her hands in mock-disgust. "I could outfit the entire Sairou army for the price I pay for five weapons!"

"And I could not feed a mouse with the money I would make from this deal!" Damar answered.

"No matter, old man!" Subaru grinned. "We'll get our weapons and go," she placed a bag heavy with coins into his hands.

"I don't see how you two can call _me_ old," Damar grumbled good-naturedly. "I seem to recall that Tokaki is two years older than me, and Subaru is my age! I don't care how young you _sound_. You're just as old as me you two idiots!"

Subaru smiled sadly at her old friend, "Yes…you're right. We have no room to call you old. It's a wonder any of us are alive."

"Meh…" Damar waved them towards a small door that led to the back. "I blame it on Byakko for you two. And for me…maybe I was just waiting to hear your voice again. You've been gone so long…" The old man leaned back into his chair with a sigh.

Subaru leaned forward and gently kissed his withered cheek. "Thank you, Damar." She straightened and headed for the doorway. "Well, let's go pick out our weapons."

Aya — with a glance at Damar — followed Subaru into the back. Tatara, Kokie, and Tokaki followed after their priestess. Aya stepped into a fairly large room. Her eyes widened and her mouth flew open. "Wow!" she breathed, turning in a circle to scan the room.

Every inch of available surface was covered with all imaginable weapons. Tokaki strode to the center of the room where a pair of harmless looking hoop earrings lay on a pedestal. "Aw!" he smiled. "He hasn't forgotten!" He immediately picked them up and fastened them to his ears. "I'm ready!"

Tatara wandered over to a plain wooden staff. "Ah…it's hardwood. That's a good sign." He turned to join Tokaki by the door. "I believe I am also ready."

Kokie was much harder to please. He made a beeline for the wall that was covered with swords. He took his time handling each one before finally placing it back to try another. He passed by twelve swords before he paused in front of one. The others had been very fancy. Most had at least a few precious jewels inserted into the handle. This sword, by comparison, was plain. It had no fancy jewels or designs. The scabbard was ordinary leather and not an ounce of gold or silver could be found.

"I will take this sword," Kokie finally spoke after picking the sword up and handling it. "We have finally met: my soul mate and I."

"What…?" Aya turned to Subaru for explanation as Kokie calmly joined Tatara and Tokaki.

"Kokie is a great swordsman," Subaru explained quietly. "He actually prefers to fight with his sword than with his seishi powers. Every swordsman believes that there is one perfect sword waiting just for him. That would be his 'soul mate'. Evidently Kokie has found his."

"My soul mate's name is Kunpuu. It means 'summer breeze'. We will both protect you till we are no more," Kokie raised the sword toward Aya. "This we promise."

Aya flushed and looked down at her feet. A second later, her head was up; and she was smiling. "Aw, don't waste promises like that! I can take care of myself thank you! I do appreciate the thought though!" She turned swiftly to look at the racks of weaponry.

Subaru smiled at her fellow seishi and headed for the wall where strange needles hung. Subaru quickly took down a pack and smiled at the rest. "I've got mine!"

Aya wasn't sure what she was going to do. She had no skills with _any_ of these weapons. She'd never picked up a sword in her life. The staff would only be like a big club to her. And she really wasn't sure what to make of Tokaki's earrings or Subaru's needles. They looked like thinner versions of chopsticks. She was currently fiddling with a weird knife. It was too small to be of any practical use that she could see. It would never stand against a real knife in a fight. She was about to place it back when she heard a squeal behind her.

Subaru danced about the floor, hopping and shrieking. "Oh! Oh! It's a _rat_! Someone kill it! Please!"

The boys were amused and did nothing to aid her. Aya growled under her breath. "Would one of you please kill it! She's giving me a headache."

Kokie stepped forward and tried to skewer it with his sword. He missed, and the poor rat fled in the only direction left open to it. Directly at Aya.

Aya's eyes widened. She wasn't afraid of rats, but in no way did she want one crawling up her leg. "Ah!" she threw the knife at the small animal and scrambled up onto one of the pedestals with her eyes tightly shut.

Silence. Even Subaru had stopped squealing. Aya peeked from under her arms. "Is it gone?"But her seishi were staring wide-eyed and slack-jawed at something near her feet. Trembling a bit, Aya glanced down — at the body of the rat she'd just killed. That abnormally small knife was buried exactly in the animal's head. "Oh. So that's what they're for."

Tatara was the first to recover. "Priestess! Did you mean to hit that rat!"

"Don't call me that," Aya growled as she slowly climbed down. "And…sort of. I didn't want it to get near me so I just…threw it."

Kokie scratched an X onto the wall with Kunpuu. "Aya, see if you can hit this mark with another of the throwing daggers."

Aya shrugged and picked up another dagger. "I can't promise I won't hit ya'll, so you'd better move away."

After exchanging thoughtful looks, all four moved well out of her range. Aya sighed a little and stared at the X on the wall rather dubiously. "Well, here goes nothing…" she cocked her arm back precisely as if she was throwing one of her softball and let it fly. The dagger hit the wall with the screech of metal on stone and fell to the floor.

Kokie stepped forward to look at the mark. "There is a small slash in the center of the X," he mentioned casually. "I would venture to say that Aya is a rather good shot."

"Whoot!" Tokaki jumped into the air. "I knew she was good! No one could calmly fire pinecones out like that without having some skill!"

"I beg to differ on the calm part," Tatara smiled, "She seemed quite incensed…"

"Whoa," Aya stared at her hands. "Softball _does_ have its uses."

"So now that we've all found our weapons…" Subaru stepped carefully over the body of the rat. "Can we go now? I'd like to get started. This journey will take us a few weeks at least. Maybe even a month or more."

"Remind me again why we can't just make Tokaki teleport us?" Aya groaned at the thought of having to ride all that way across a desert. They'd already decided to buy some desert horses for the journey.

"Because even I have my limit," Tokaki scowled. "I don't think I can teleport five people plus myself that distance. I might lose someone along the way."

"Well…" Aya raised a brow. "That settles it for me. Shall we then?"

Two days later, she was regretting those words. "Oh, god!" Aya mumbled, wiping sweat from her brow. I think I'll just die here, thanks."

"Wimp," Tokaki snickered from in front of her. He reigned in the sturdy brown horse he was riding so that he could laugh in her face. "You just can't handle it."

Aya's pride was stung, and she immediately sat up straighter in the saddle. "Bull! I can handle anything any of you pansies can stomach! Bring it on, bitch!" Her own paint mare tossed her head as if agreeing with her mistress.

Tatara smiled to himself as he watched the four of them: Aya and Tokaki and their horses. It was amazing how the horses fit their personalities so well. Tokaki's stallion had been named Hentai at both Subaru and Aya's insistence. It meant pervert and fit him perfectly. He was forever getting bitten by the mares for his…activities.

Aya's own mare was a delicate beauty. With a penchant for vanity. She was very high-strung, and only Aya was allowed to be near her. The trainer nearly fell out when Arashi actually allowed Aya to touch her. Her frequent — and violent — outbursts had earned her the name meaning 'tempest'. Neither Aya nor Arashi seemed to think there was anything wrong with them.

"She's just letting off some steam!" Aya snapped at Tokaki. Arashi had nearly brained him as he tried to get some water from an infrequent oasis. "She doesn't like traveling in this heat any more than I do!"

"We should have bought camels," Kokie whispered, stepping to Tatara's side. The older boy jumped.

"Kokie! You startled me."

"I'm sorry," Kokie bowed slightly. "I forget that I am as soundless as the shadows I control."

"Why camels?" Tatara asked with an easy smile.

"Because they would not pick up and encourage their owners' personality traits. Camels are stolid and reasonable at all times."

Tatara risked a glance towards Aya. Though she had dismounted and was telling Tokaki several things he could do with himself that were probably — anatomically speaking — impossible, Arashi still stuck close to her side. The sensitive mare pranced in place, her ears laid back against her skull. She eyed Tokaki angrily. Her mistress was upset with this person. He must be evil. "Are you sure? I have a feeling Aya's personality would override something so calm as a camel."

Kokie, too, studied the scene with no emotion visible. After a minute, "Yes. You are right. A camel would likely have picked up on the anger and spit by now. This would almost certainly lead to a fight from Tokaki. It's possible we'd have to spend several days resting to let him recuperate."

Tatara laughed out loud, startling Tokaki and Aya long enough for them to quiet down a bit. "I'd forgotten your lovely sense of humor, Kokie! Gods, how I've missed it."

Kokie looked slightly down at the older boy. "I've missed you as well, my friend."

"We should be going now," Subaru walked up to them with an understanding look in her eyes. "Rest time is over, I'm afraid."

"Darn. Just when I had most of the sand out of my clothing," Aya sighed.

They left the oasis at a fast walk. Anything faster would have killed the horses. Subaru sat her mare with ease. The mare was quiet but with a sense of humor. Not three hours after they had left, the mare began playfully nipping Kokie's chocolate brown gelding. Kirei — as Subaru called the mare — meant 'beautiful'. She had been named both for her gentle nature and her lovely light gray coat. Kokie's gelding was also quiet. He never made a sound or tried to act up in the least. Kokie had decided to name him Usagi or rabbit because of this tendency to remain unnoticed.

Tatara's own stallion was a natural leader. His name was simply 'horse', Uma. Aya had laughed at that, but Tatara insisted that it fit the pure white animal perfectly. Besides, it made little difference to the small stallion. He was perfectly fine leading his new herd across the desert. Of course, Tokaki's stallion often caused trouble; but after Aya punched him in the nose for starting a fight, he was surprisingly docile.

"I think I'm dehydrated," Tokaki sighed dramatically. "I'll die out here, I know."

"Tokaki," Aya's voice was strained. "We just left the oasis an hour ago. Surely you can't be thirsty already!"

"But I am!" Tokaki assured them all. "Dying!"

"We have to conserve water, doofus," Subaru snorted. "You can't just have a drink whenever you feel like it."

Tokaki was in the act of responding when the peace of the desert was shattered by the thundering of many hooves. Aya's head snapped up as she and the rest gazed in shock at the band of thirty riders bearing down on them. "Somehow…" Aya's voice was for once subdued, "I don't think they're traders…"

5


	34. Masquerade

Greetings! So nice to see you again…well…kinda…Anyway! We've finally made our way back to Mieri. Poor, dear….It was really hard thinking how I wanted the plot to progress for her. I mean, she already has all her seishi! And all they'd be doing is walking…and walking….and walking…But you get my picture, right? So…forgive me if my artistic nature (snicker) felt forced to liven things up a bit. For all of you who wished me luck in the softball game…IT DIDN'T WORK! TT They stomped our asses! But it wasn't even that! They took out my little sister who's a catcher. And the bitch didn't even care! She had a slight concussion and a fractured elbow! Heh…but being a pitcher…I got even. I tried to hit her like 5 times. But the bitch was fast! She kept dodging them…She even thought about charging the mound but decided against it…maybe it was cuz I had the ball and my little sister was about to tackle her from behind….? o.O But enough about that. Sorry. I just had to tell ya. On to R&R's!

Silver: Yes she punched a horse! That's how you get them to behave. Their noses are really sensitive so it hurts a lot and they don't do…whatever…anymore. I see you've updated a lot too! TT it's not fair…you're so much better about updating than me. I bet everyone loves you more! (cries) Oh well! I'll read your next chapter after I put this up!

N-4-E:This is your new shortened name. It's too much trouble to type it all out. Sorry! And I gave a lot of attention to the horses cuz of 2 reasons: A. I love horses a lot and happen to have some so I had references B. The horses are a reflection of their riders and I thought it was cute. Also the horses will be essential to the plot line at a later date. But that's all I can say! Shhh!

Mint:(rolls eyes) You…are a goober…Aladdin? King of Thieves? Yeah…I guess you could say that…I actually like Arabian Nights! But that didn't have anything to do with this…I just picked a random number…sorry…;; I'm glad you liked it so much! I always have lots of fun with Aya. And it's even more fun when they all get together. Explosive would be one word. I wasn't sure how the whole sword thing was gonna come across but I'm glad that someone got it! Swordsmen are always really attached to their swords and often give them names. After all, the sword is a big part in staying alive! I had lots of fun with the Subaru love-triangle too! I wanted to give you some more background info on Subaru and Tokaki. That seemed like a good way to do it. Glad you liked the weapons!

LT:Yes! They're gonna be bandits…But you won't be finding out what happens for a while…I have 3 priestesses to go through! Sometimes I think this fic will never end….T-T

ET:Hee! Yes! The horses were lots of fun to think up! And of course Tokaki's is named Hentai…what else could you expect? And the Damar thing was a last minute thought. Glad you liked it though! I was going to have him pass die quietly while they picked out weapons….you know…cuz he'd only lived this long to hear Subaru's voice again? But I just got through watching a REALLY sad movie and I wasn't in the mood for more misery…T-T

Yusagi:Thanks for reading my story! I hope you enjoy it and I'm glad I managed to help someone else in their search for info on the unknown seishi…I had the hardest time finding even what I have…T-T…Be aware though that some of the info is going to be made up for lack of evidence! And no! I'm not Mieri! Good guess though! Heehee!

Mieri stared at her seishi. "You want to what!"

"Please, Priestess. You must understand, no da!" Chichiri began to sweat. "We, um, need to go ahead to see Taitsukun. It is possible that she will give us the help we need to locate Yuko and Rika without your assistance. The sooner we get there the better."

Mieri's hands went straight to her hips. "And why exactly can't you take me with you! I've been through the hat-thing once! It's a lot easier than wandering about in circles!" Mieri shuddered to remember the time she had before finding her seishi. In fact, she was taking this whole Priestess thing the best out of all four of the girls. Unlike Aya and even Rika, she found that she liked the idea of being truly needed by someone. Especially when that someone happened to be seven very hott guys…

"Mieri?" Tasuki broke into her thoughts. He was peering into her face with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Wah!" she jumped back at finding his face so close to her own. "Yes!" she gasped. "I'm fine! Now what were you saying? I kinda zoned out…"

"I was saying that I'm still exhausted from the earlier attempt to talk to Aya. It was hard work, na no da! I don't think I could carry all of us!"

"Tasuki, Tamahome, Nuriko, and Hotohori will accompany you," Chiriko smiled a bit.

"Why!" Mieri's eyes widened. "Why aren't the rest of you coming with me?"

"Well…frankly, I wish to speak to Taitsukun on the matter of how we all got back," Chiriko continued.

"And what's your excuse!" Mieri glared angrily at Mitsukake.

Mitsukake shrugged, "You won't need me with those four to guard you. And I'd like to ask Taitsukun some questions about my healing powers. If it's possible, I'd like to heal more than once a day. The power would be useful in the fight to come."

Mieri's gaze shifted unconsciously to Chichiri.

"Na no da! Don't look at me!" he threw up both hands, "I have to go to work the spell, no da!"

The Priestess sighed. "I don't know. It's just that I met you all _yesterday_, and you're already leaving me." Tears gathered in her eyes, "I miss Aya and Riku and Yuko. And now my seishi are going! Is something wrong with me!"

Concern immediately flashed across every face but one. Tasuki strode over to Mieri and crossed his arms. "Oh, shut up!"

Mieri looked up suddenly in disbelief.

"Is that really what you're thinking!" he asked with scorn. "You know your friends would be here in a heartbeat if they could. The bitchy blonde one would probably slap you for even thinking that! Besides, we're not leaving you! We're doing all this for you!"

Mieri sniffed, "Well, whatever! Can we just get this show on the road?" She glanced guiltily over her shoulder. "Now I get the creepiest feeling that Aya's going to pop out and hit me. Or Rika. She'd definitely do it, too."

"I'm ready!" Chichiri pointed to his strange straw hat. It was hovering a few feet off the ground.

Mitsukake bowed to Mieri before stepping casually into the hat and disappearing. Chiriko had to jump in order to even get in. Regardless that he was supposed to have aged two years since his death, he hadn't gotten any taller. Chichiri paused, half-in, half-out of the hat. "If you need us, Priestess, call, no da. We'll hear and answer." And with that, he disappeared completely from view.

"Honestly!" Nuriko fumed. "You'd think that no one around here trusted us with her!"

Hotohori frowned slightly. "I still have to wonder what I'm doing dressed like this." He gestured to his clothing. Instead of the traditional men's clothing, Hotohori wore a woman's robes. His hair was done up, and make up was on his face. He'd never looked prettier.

"I don't know," Nuriko spun around in his own robes. "It brings back fond memories for me!" He laughed. While at one time he had convinced himself he was gay — he had been in love with Hotohori, no less — Nuriko had finally realized that he was a man. He had only been living as a woman to make up for his little sister Korin's death.

Mieri laughed behind her own stiff mask of makeup. "I hate makeup," she admitted. "It makes me feel like…a third-grade art project…" The seishi looked blankly at her. "Okay! Note to self: Never try jokes that have modern day references!" She climbed into the back of the cart they were to ride in.

"Remember!" Tamahome admonished them as he led them out of the gates of Eiyo. "You are three daughters of a wealthy general. Tasuki and I are your bodyguards to see you safely to the home of your betrothed."

"Yeah, yeah! We remember!" Mieri shifted uncomfortably in the back of the cart. "Can that thing go any faster?"

Tasuki was driving the cart — which was attached to an old plow horse — and Tamahome rode beside on a gentle palfrey out of the Emperor's own stables. "Shut your trap!" Tasuki snapped. "The only reason I'm even up here is for you!"

Mieri glowered and would have replied if Nuriko hadn't touched her arm. "Forgive him," the older boy winked, "He's deathly afraid of horses. It's actually a big step that he's driving this thing for you."

Mieri looked anew at the fiery seishi. _So he conquered a fear for me? From what everyone's said, he didn't even do that for Miaka._ She smiled softly to herself. "Well, if that's the case, this pace is just fine."

"I should say so!" Tasuki commented.

Mieri forgot her feelings of good will and growled, "Watch it! I'll hit you! Don't think I won't!"

"Oh, no!" Tasuki's eyes widened in mock horror. "Whatever will I do now! I think I'll just — OW! Stupid Priestess! What was that for!"

"For being a smartass!"

"I'll show you what a smartass is!"

"Oh, please!" Mieri crossed her arms. "Please do! This show of _great intellect_ will be well worth it!"

"Why I oughta —! "

"Enough!" Hotohori groaned as he covered his ears. "I'm much too delicate to be put through such torture!" He rolled his eyes along with Tamahome. Tasuki and Mieri were much to busy squabbling to notice.

"I don't know," Nuriko grinned, "I think it might give our little disguise some proof if the haughty princess argues with the lowly guard. Besides. It's cute."

3


	35. Complications

Hiya! Yes…I've finally updated. And I've also finally figured out a way to spice things up for poor Mieri. Heh heh heh. I will apologize in advance for how depressed and sentimental she is. It's really not her fault. But I really don't have much to say except for I'M GRADUATED! I'M FREE! There. Now on to R&R:

Silver:LOL YES! Confetti:: runs around in circles : Confetticonfetticonfetti! Yes…I am hyper as well. And what's with you not being on either! We're so going to have to set up a schedule. : nods : And the reason they have to dress up as women? A) I like seeing Hotohori dressed up in women's clothing B) I suppose maybe I should have put this in somewhere but basically they're worried about the unknown danger. Plus the Seiryu seishi. So they're being really cautious. (Actually Chiriko and Chichiri made them be really cautious but it amounts to the same thing) So there you have it! And this chapter is much longer than normal so be happy!

Mint:Yes…Mieri has been gone a long time hasn't she? And Yuko too! But that shall change! I guarantee it! Probably Yuko's going to get a lot of time now b/c of unmentionable plot twists. Hee…I love knowing stuff you don't:: evil laughter : And crossdressing is most definitely necessary in ANY FY fanfic. It's just…wrong…without it! And yes….Tasuki loses to the horse…constantly…lol I guess I can't say much though…the other day I was trying to clean out my horse's hooves and he reached around with his head and bit me in the butt! -- That is definitely a punch-on-the-nose situation. So I got him back. And Tasuki would get killed by a bike…Actually…: glimmer of an idea :….Hee! My MSN right now is Death's Mistress….but it's subject to change….I'll wait until you im me or something.

ET:lol so you like Tasuki do you? Don't let Mieri hear you say that…

Yusagi:LOL yes…cute and fluffy animals are ever the bane of men's lives. But Urumiya will get over it. Promise! And opaque means NOT see through. So everything BUT the breasts and AHEM was see through. Better? Tatara did not rig the game lol. Aya and Subaru just suck at games of chance. And Tokaki…yeah….No…Kokie I didn't have enough info on so I just made him up! Maybe later when Watase-sensei comes out with more descriptions I'll have his REAL look. But his powers are correct…I think…LOL Aya's not so scary! She just…handles tense situations in a different manner than most. Usually she's a little ditzy and A LOT blonde. Feel free to borrow the weapons. Hee! It took me like 2 days to think of them all. And they have horses b/c they travel faster than camels. Since there's lots of water along the route their taking, there's no reason for them to use camels. Guess it would have been nice if I'd explained that in the fic huh? ;;

"Cute?" Tamahome shook his head, "I'm not sure if I'd call it cute."

"I think it's absolutely adorable!" Nuriko clapped his hands together like a little school girl. "They're destined!"

"Destined for what? Complete and total annihilation?" Tamahome asked with a heated glare in their direction. People in town were starting to stare.

Nuriko shook his head, "You are so dense."

"I could toast you! Right now if I wanted! Damn woman!" Tasuki roared. The poor horse had been forgotten. Luckily, it seemed content to follow the road and not pause. Tamahome watched it carefully just in case.

"Toast me!" Mieri rose up to her full height — which wasn't saying much. "I didn't want to do this, but you've forced me to it! I'll sic Aya on you!"

Tasuki's eyes widened in very real fear. He recalled all too well how even Tokaki had been subdued by the strange girl with the red-gold hair. He remembered Tamahome's fear of her when he'd first awoken from unconsciousness. And, of course, he remembered how accurate Aya had been with that stick. "No! Don't do anything crazy! She's insane!"

Mieri smirked, "Then be a good little boy and shut up."

Tasuki smoldered but turned back around to gingerly pick up the reins. "That's cheating," he muttered quietly.

"No, cheating is threatening to use a magic fan to toast somebody," Mieri replied calmly as she sank back down into a seated position. Her head was held high as she surveyed the people they passed. "How long till we get out of this city?"

Nuriko suppressed a chuckle and answered as best he could, "I'm not sure. It shouldn't be but a few more miles. We'll be out in the country before you know it!"

"How long will the journey itself take?" Mieri mused, wondering how long she'd have to spend cramped in the back of a wagon with bandit-boy up there for company.

"Um…Probably a few weeks?" Nuriko guessed haphazardly. "I should think it would be less than that with us being seishi and all," he winked at her.

Mieri sighed. Weeks? And that was only till they reached Taitsukun. How much longer than that until she saw Aya? Or Rika? Or Yuko? They might be separated forever. Mieri was not naïve enough to overlook the dangers that could befall any one of them over the long months it seemed to require for them to be reunited.

Tasuki heard her sigh and caught the melancholy stare. He shifted uncomfortably in the wagon seat. Had he caused her sudden depression? Maybe. But it was much more likely that she was missing her friends. He knew what that felt like. Koji, his childhood bandit friend, was probably having no problems leading the band. After all, he was second-in-command to Tasuki as leader of the bandits! There was no reason he should encounter problems. Koji had always led in Tasuki's absence.

Well, regardless, he'd probably have to be the one to cheer Mieri up. He looked back at her, searching for a topic. The gleam of sunlight hitting gold caught his attention. Totally forgetting himself, Tasuki reached back and picked up the necklace. "What's this?"

Mieri started and jumped back a little to land on a surprised Nuriko. The sudden pressure was too much for the thin chain, and it snapped. Instantly a red light shone forth from the tiny kanji to envelope Mieri, Tasuki, and Nuriko. Before either Hotohori or Tamahome could react, the three were gone from this world and already into the next.

Mieri blinked confusedly at the sudden darkness. What had happened? She'd been in the wagon. Then Tasuki had picked up her necklace. Mieri suddenly remembered the chain snapping and frantically reached automatically for her neck but encountered only flesh. Not immediately feeling it upon her person, she patted the ground around her in an attempt to feel it. But she didn't find the necklace. What she found was a warm body. "Eek!" she jumped back only to encounter another warm body. "Eeeek!"

Nuriko sat up and rubbed his head. "No need to be so loud, Priestess…It's just me."

"N-Nuriko?" Mieri pressed her hand into her chest in an effort to calm her racing heart. "Sorry! I-I'm just a little jumpy…I'm not fond of the dark"

"Yeah, well, I'm not fond of people hitting me in the head!" Tasuki's voice sounded from behind her making her jump again. "You bumped into me!"

Hearing the accusation in his voice made Mieri forget all about her fears. "Oh, really! Well, _excuse_ me! It's not like I did it on purpose!"

"Why is there no light?" Nuriko asked, breaking in before it could turn into another argument.

"We were knocked unconscious by Tasuki's fat butt?" Mieri suggested innocently.

Tasuki glared.

"Tama? Hotohori?" Nuriko called out into the darkness. No answer. "Now what in the world is going on?"

Mieri struggled out of the tangle of bodies and felt blindly before her in the darkness. Her outstretched hands suddenly encountered something familiar. "A lamp!" Mieri quickly found the switch and turned it on. Light flooded the room. All in it were momentarily blinded. When they slowly regained their vision, a confusing sight met their eyes.

"No way!" Mieri exclaimed. She gazed around in wide-eyed horror. "We're home!"

"Um…I beg to differ!" Nuriko laughed nervously. He, too, gazed around his new surroundings. They appeared to be in some type of house. But there were all kinds of things that he didn't recognize.

"What I meant was that we're in _my_ world!" Hope flooded Mieri. If she was home…She suddenly fled the room. "Aya? Aya! Are you in here! Yuko! Rika!"

The two seishi could hear her voice as she ran from room to room. Then they heard footsteps pounding on the stairs. "Mieri?" Tasuki called up. He wandered into another room. This one was filled with lots of dangerous looking things that must be weapons, and everything was metal and shiny. "Must be a torture room," he mumbled backing quickly out. He looked around and saw that Nuriko was in yet another room. This one contained a flight of stairs.

"Hurry up, Tasuki!" Nuriko called down from halfway up. "I think she went up here."

Tasuki diligently followed his friend upstairs. There were even more rooms up here. The first and second were empty; but from the third, they heard Mieri's quiet voice.

"Well, this is depressing."

Nuriko and Tasuki cautiously entered. The room was obviously a bedroom. Mieri herself sat silently on the bed. She didn't look up when the two approached. "You know…I almost expected that she would be here. I thought I'd run up here, and she'd be sitting here, laughing. That she'd make fun of me for being so worried. Then I'd tease her, and she'd tease me. That's really what I thought would happen. But it's not to be." Mieri sighed and rose from the bed.

"What should we do?" Nuriko asked hesitantly.

She looked at him. "Well, I suppose we should go into the computer room. That's where me and Aya were before we got pulled into your world." She turned to go, leaving Nuriko and Tasuki to follow.

Tasuki looked around him as they entered the second room. "What is that!" he asked pointing at the computer.

"It's a computer, idiot," Mieri responded absently as she searched the room for something.

"Hey!" Tasuki drew his fan and took a defensive stance. "I didn't know! Don't take your bad mood out on me!"

Mieri caught the flash of the fan out of the corner of her eye. "Hey! Don't be waving that thing around in here! This isn't even my house!"

"What? It's not like I can't control it!"

"So! You could still burn something! Something like me!"

"Oh, give me a break! You can damn well get over it!"

"I'll show you getting over it!"

"Um…excuse me?" Nuriko tried to hide a smile.

"What!" Both Tasuki and Mieri turned on him with furious expressions.

"Is this what you were looking for?" he held up the Book of the Four Gods.

"That's it!" Mieri squealed excitedly, totally forgetting Tasuki. "That's the thing that sucked us in!"

"Uh…huh…" Nuriko opened the pages. "Well, if this is your version of the Scroll of the Four Gods….then…"

"Give me that!" Mieri snatched it from his hands and plopped down on the bed to read it. "Hey…" Mieri raised a brow. "I can read it now…"

Tasuki snickered. "What? You couldn't read before?"

"Shut up," Mieri frowned. "Before, it was in Chinese. Now it's all in Japanese kanji. I can read it with no problem!"

"Maybe the book wants you to read it now," Nuriko shrugged. "It is an instrument of the gods."

Mieri had her doubts, but she wasn't about to question her good fortune. She opened the book to the last page and began reading aloud. "It says that the Suzaku seishi Tamahome and Hotohori looked frantically for their missing Priestess and friends. Hey! They're talking about us!"

"Keep reading!" Tasuki and Nuriko both exclaimed.

"It says that upon not finding their Priestess or their friends, they called upon the seishi Chichiri to help them in their search."

"Aw…they really do miss us!" Nuriko laughed.

"Then it says that they spent an entire week looking all over Eiyo, capital of Konan. But they could not find their comrades. Instead, Chichiri used his powers to transfer them back to Mt. Taikyoku where they met up with Taitsukun to wait for the return of their priestess."

"So…that leaves us where?" Nuriko asked with a slight frown.

"I guess that leaves us stuck here until we can find a way back there," Mieri, too, frowned. "My question is what sent us back? I mean, we were just fine until Tasuki —" Mieri stopped suddenly as she grasped at her empty neck.

Nuriko's eyebrows rose towards his hairline as he, too, caught on.

"What?" Tasuki asked.

Mieri scrambled over to Tasuki, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor. "Where is the necklace you pulled off!" she asked excitedly, grabbing him by the shoulders until they were face to face. "Do you still have it?"

Tasuki flushed slightly and pulled back. "I don't know, woman!" His voice was unnaturally loud and aggressive. Nuriko snickered. "How the hell am I supposed to know?"

Mieri was up in an instant and out of the room. The seishi heard her footsteps as she thudded down the stairs. They hurriedly followed their Priestess. They found her in the room they had landed in, searching the floor on her hands and knees.

Guessing at what she was looking for, Nuriko and Tasuki both joined her without a word. A cry of triumph alerted them when Mieri found it. She held the 'friend' necklace up on its silver chain. "This is it," she nodded decisively. "This is what connects the four of us; its loss must have been enough to pull me back."

"So put it back on!" Tasuki demanded. "This place gives me the creeps!"

"Thanks," Mieri muttered sarcastically. She stared forlornly at the broken chain. "I don't think it's going to be that easy."

4


	36. Night Falls

Ugh….--…yes…I am not dead! If you're wondering why it took so long to update? I'll be more than happy to bitch and complain about it! My computer went nuts. There's no other way to put it. Like none of the programs would work and it randomly deleted several files. Including the fanfic. T-T I was so distraught!...Actually I like to took the computer apart I was so mad…Luckily! I'm smart and back all my important stuff up! So yeah! But it still took me awhile before I could get my computer fixed enough to type on it…So I'm very sorry! Also! I'm moving down to Hattiesburg for college in the fall. I'm not sure how much time I'll have…(and this fanfic seems to be taking up MUCH more pages than I had originally planned…)….but I'll definitely keep writing even through the rigors of school work. :nods: So yeah! On to the R&R's!

Silver:Ha! Plot twists rock! I am a genius…Ha, again! I'm on! You're on! We're BOTH ON! See? Things work out for those who are patient. :nods: Update soon!

ET:Lol aren't they cute! And she's not cruel….she just doesn't know she likes him yet. Mieri's like that. :shakes head: You learn to live with it. And she will kill you. So I won't let her know you're little secret. Tootles!

Mint:Why only fish? Apartment? o.O Lol thanks! I'll take the compliment to heart! Actually that's one of my biggest fears is that some rabid fan-girl is going to hunt me down and tear me apart cuz I screwed with their personalities. Personally, I think I totally botched the job but as long as ya'll are happy! ;; But I can understand that. Nothing gets me more than some idiot writer making someone nice and quiet like Yuki Sohma into a total loudmouth ass. -- Which I've actually seen done. At least get it SOMEWHAT right! Jeez! So…yeah…thanks…Heh…I won't kill you for not liking Tasuki…Mieri probably wouldn't either. At least she'd know you wouldn't try to steal him. :nods: And actually you're the first one to say congratulations! So thanks again! PAAAARTAAAYYY!

Yusagi: o.O Cuz…they are….? It's destiny! They can't help it! I made them that way::evil laughter: They didn't notice cuz they're all dumb! I mean! This is Tasuki! And Mieri! And while Nuriko isn't that bad…still! Yes…the torture room was the kitchen with all the shiny object…Good job picking that up. I wasn't sure if it was obvious enough. Eh! I can't explain the necklace yet! T-T Sorry! It would ruin some stuff….you'll find out in future chapters. Promise! The probability of them running into Miaka….I don't really know yet…sorry! When I decide you can read! Oh! And I only chose Nuriko and Tasuki cuz they're the most fun and it's a PAIN IN THE ASS to try to find stuff for like 5 or 6 or more ppl to say…and still keep in the storyline…So yeah…-- that's why….

Star:Lol so many questions! - Yeah…you were lucky cuz you didn't have to wait UBBER long to get to Ch. 35…now you'll find out the pain of having to wait on me! 3 Yes…Aya is rather aggressive, isn't she? And she wouldn't hesitate to kick his ass either...Mieri got the necklace along with the other girls…I mentioned it in like the first chapter I think. They're friendship necklaces. I believe Yuko got them for all four friends. And like I said! I can't tell you how it did what it did yet! Himitsu desu!

dagonelf 8:For starters….your name has to be shortened too! I dub thee….DE8! Simple, no? Thanks so much for reading my fic! I'm glad you like it! I know I didn't update as soon as you'd have liked…but I explained that already…sorry! ;; And enjoy this sloppy chapter…it's crap cuz it's late and I'm trying to get you guys another chapter…so…sorry..

"Thanks," Mieri muttered sarcastically. She stared forlornly at the broken chain. "I don't think it's going to be that easy."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Nuriko asked.

"I guess we'll have to take it to a jeweler tomorrow. That'd be the quickest way to fix it, I suppose."

"Why can't we go now?" Tasuki asked irritated. "I wanna get the hell out of here!"

"Well, excuse me!" Mieri snapped, her eyes angry and accusing. "I'm sorry for having such a 'creepy', 'nasty' home! _You_ may not feel comfortable here, but _I_ do! You think I enjoyed traipsing around in a frickin' dress while trying not to get killed!" She glared.

"Alrighty then!" Nuriko jumped up and clapped his hands. "Since the Priestess," he put a slight emphasis on the last word as he glanced at Tasuki, "has said that we must wait until tomorrow, why don't we all get some sleep?"

Tasuki flushed and crossed his arms. He said nothing.

Mieri yawned. "Works for me. You guys got me up _way_ too early this morning," she glared pointedly at Tasuki.

Tasuki flushed an even deeper red and cleared his throat. "Where are we going to sleep?" he asked, mumbling.

Mieri put a finger to her chin as she thought. "Well…I guess you guys could sleep on the couch. There's no way you're sleeping in the same room as me," she paused. "I'll just go get you some blankets and stuff. Try not to mess anything up." She rose and exited the room, headed for the linen closet she knew was right down the hall.

When Nuriko heard her rustling through the sheets a safe distance away, he turned to Tasuki. "You've got a crush," he accused with a twinkle in his eye.

"What the hell are you talking about!" Tasuki roared.

"What are you guys doing?" Mieri's voice floated into the room.

"Just discussing strategy!" Nuriko quickly replied.

"Okay, just don't get into a fight!" Mieri continued shifting through the linens. Since Aunt Sanyo had married an Englishman — which was how Mieri was related to her — she tended to use Western products more often than not. It was the sole reason she had a car and a typical Western style house.

"Don't deny it," Nuriko spun back around to face Tasuki and clapped his hands like a school girl with new gossip. "Not everyone believed that whole spider incident."

Tasuki blanched. "There's nothing between us, dammit!" he insisted turning red again.

"Not yet," Nuriko teased.

Tasuki whipped out his fan and gestured threateningly at his friend. "Shut your trap!"

"How manly," Nuriko snickered.

"What in the world is going on?" Mieri growled as she stumbled through the door, arms loaded with sheets. "Don't tell me the testosterone is getting in the way of peace?" She tried to glare at them, but couldn't see over the mountains of sheets.

"What do you need so many linens for, Priestess?" Nuriko asked, neatly side-stepping the question.

Mieri sighed. While she had long given up hope on them not calling her by that dreadful title, hearing it still caused her to twitch slightly. "There isn't another bed, so you'll have to make do with a pallet."

"I saw a bed," Nuriko grinned mischievously.

"You're not sleeping in the same room as me," Mieri returned without batting a lash. She busied herself separating the sheets into two piles.

"I used to be a girl."

"You used to act like a girl."

"I shared the harem with a ton of other girls. Lots of them even prettier than you." Nuriko realized his mistake too late.

"Why you —" Mieri seized a pillow and threw it at his face with all her might. "You should be de-manned for that!" She followed the pillow a second later and jumped on him. When she was sure he was firmly trapped beneath her weight on his back, she asked, "Well!"

"I was mistaken?" Nuriko's voice was muffled from being half-smothered.

"About…?" Mieri's eyes gleamed playfully, and she hopped a little, up and down.

A grunt rewarded her efforts. "I was mistaken about my Priestess' intelligence?"

"Do what?"

Nuriko rose easily to his feet, catching Mieri seconds before she hit the ground. With care, he tossed her onto the biggest pile of bed coverings. "She must have forgotten that my power as a seishi is strength." Then he destroyed the mood of conqueror by giggling. "You couldn't hope to hold me down!"

Mieri's peal of laughter was light and unrestrained. "I suppose you'd be right on both accounts then! Now, it's getting late; and I'm going to bed. See you two boys in the morning." Getting up, still laughing, Mieri left the room.

Nuriko shook his head as he bent to gather the sheets left by Mieri. Suddenly his vision was obscured by a pair of booted feet. With a slight smile he straightened. "Yes, Tasuki?"

Tasuki stood in obvious agitation glaring at Nuriko. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Nuriko asked calmly trying to smother the laughter that lay just underneath the surface of his neutrality.

"What was that that you two were doing just now?" Tasuki frowned. He was irritated beyond measure that Mieri had so casually played with Nuriko like that; he just didn't know why.

"I believe that's what you call "teasing"," Nuriko sniffed. "And you should really learn to lighten up. I don't recall you being this much of a fun-sucker before I was killed."

Tasuki growled but didn't force the issue. Instead, he grabbed a large number of the sheets and pillows to retire across the room. There, wedged in a corner between the computer and the wall, he grudgingly fell asleep.

Nuriko took a little longer to sleep. Despite his rather carefree attitude, he was rather worried about suddenly being transferred to this strange, new world. What did that mean? Even if Suzaku had sent Mieri to their world, why would He suddenly choose to pull her — including Tasuki and him — back? Was His power waning? Was He even now being sealed away?

Shaking his head, Nuriko put such thoughts from his mind. Everything would be revealed eventually. He just had to wait for it. So laying his head on his makeshift pillow; sleep, when it came, took him quickly into its embrace.


	37. Dream Warning

Mwahahaha! Be proud of me! Why? Because I have updated again in so short a time :beams: Yes! So…Um…I can't really think of anything to say…Except that this will be the last Mieri installment for awhile. Next! On to Yuko :grins: This is where things start to get fun! Meh…that's about it…so…RR's!

**Silver: **lol Can you blame him? He's not supposed to like girls! And then along comes…:evil grin: Have I filled your requests adequately? o.O I've been online…I've sent you chapter 6…I've given you a whole DUMPTRUCK load of seer…oh! And I've updated at last! Hee!

**Mint: **Hee! - Thank you! Ugh…allergies? My dad and little sister have those…their supposedly allergic to dogs, cats, horses…If it has fur they're allergic to it. But I'm a big time animal fan and I made them deal with it. It helps that mom saw this starving adorable little kitten and told dad to shove it up his ass….she can get mean when she has to!I know! The only person who owns a charie is the OWNER…and they're allowed to obsess as much as they want. :evil gleam: And YES! I adore Fruits Basket! I have the whole series of the anime and up to like number 9 in the manga….ten has come out and I've yet to get it…T-T And my fav? I don't know! They're all so awesome! But if I have to pick, it's Yuki. He rocks :does a rabid fangirl dance: Hee! I like the pretty ones too :nods: Yeah…it's a curse…:shrugs: YES! I just bought it like the other day :does another rabid fangirl dance: And you've got to be kidding me…Limbo…? o.O Oh well, have fun!

**Star: **Hee! Glad you liked it! And that cliff hanger wasn't that bad! This one is worse…Well, I'll try to read your stories today…I have had like NO time! T-T Ciao!

**ET: **Ha! I own like the first 3 volumes of Shaman King…I really like them. And you're right. Ren is sexy! Little too young for my tastes however so he's all yours!And who doesn't ramble on about sexy bishies? o.O No one normal I'm sure…Well, I hope you like this one too!

**DE8: **This chapter's a little longer than usual, so maybe it'll make up for last time! And yes…I enjoy making Tasuki squirm...:evil grin: It's just so much fun! And don't worry…your pen name isn't too long…I'm just too lazy…see:points upward: I shorten everyone's…And don't worry…no review is too long! I like reading them so make it as long as you dare! Mwahahahahaha! Ahem! Sorry…Have fun!

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Mieri turned restlessly in her sleep. A dream had seized her and would not let go. Finally, with a sigh, she gave in to it and let it take her where it would.

_She was in an empty meadow. There was no indication that anyone had ever been here. In fact, there was no indication that _she_ had been here. The grass was unbent. The birds and other small animals were unconcerned with her presence. She shook her head as she sat down in the tall grass to wait for whatever it was to come._

_A great fiery bird suddenly appeared in the sky. After making a few lazy circles over her head, it landed directly in front of her. Moments after that, a blue dragon landed next to it. Appearing from between the trees, a white tiger calmly padded over to lay next to the other two beasts. Lastly, a turtle ― moving faster than a turtle should ― made its way over to where Mieri and the other three beasts waited patiently. She noticed as she sat there that a snake was intertwined in the shell of the turtle, making it seem as if there were two beasts instead of one._

_The bird flapped its wings once, acknowledging the assembly. Then it opened its mouth. "Priestess. Do you know who we are?"_

_Mieri nodded her head. And indeed she _did_ know who these creatures were. The four gods: Suzaku, Seiryu, Byakko, and Genbu._

_"Do you know why you and your friends were called to our world?" This time the tiger ― Byakko ― spoke._

_Mieri shook her head._

_"It is because our world is being threatened once again." Genbu ― the turtle._

_"Your world, too, is being threatened." Seiryu ― the dragon._

_"Our worlds are intertwined, Mieri. What happens in one, affects the other." Suzaku, the bird. _Her_ god. "Once again evil is trying to seal us away."_

_"And once again it is succeeding," Byakko growled low in his throat._

_"I don't have the power to send you back," Suzaku revealed, looking her straight in the eye._

_"But why!" Mieri asked, speaking for the first time. "Why can't you fight back? Why do we have to fight for you?"_

_"The Priestesses have ever been our best weapons!" hissed Seiryu. "They have the ability to call forth our powers! Without them our power is minimal at best. We can suggest but not command. We can observe but not change."_

_"And now, with the coming of old enemies, we are even weaker," nodded Genbu. "We have all gathered together to warn you. The evil is coming. And it will not be satisfied with the destruction of our world alone."_

_"How am I to get back then?" Mieri flung her hands up, "You just said you don't have the power!"_

_"You have something greater than our power," Suzaku stepped closer. "You have bonds. Use those bonds to their utmost. Call upon them when you wish to return. The bonds will echo through the links, and they will pull you to them."_

_"Bonds? I don't understand."_

_Seiryu pulled himself up, "Well, you had better think quickly, Priestess of Suzaku. We no longer have the time to explain."_

_A sort of black cloud bubbled up from the ground around the four beast gods. It crept towards their feet. And then their chests. Finally, only their heads remained free of the taint._

_Suzaku stared at his chosen Priestess. "The evil has reached us, Priestess. We can no longer help you. Remember to use your bonds! They will save you! And find the Lost Ones! Only they will be able to mend the tears!"_

_With that, the black fog consumed every bit of the gods. When it dissipated, nothing remained. Mieri shook her head in confusion. What did they mean? Movement near her feet threw her out of her contemplation. The black fog was slowly making its way up her! She shivered. The fog was cold. It was as if a malevolent hand had seized hold of her._

_Mieri shook off the fog clinging to her legs and ran. When she reached the edge of the clearing, she noticed that there were no openings in between the trees. Regardless, she raced full tilt towards the forest. The feeling of violence and hatred was close upon her heels. She was sure that if she looked back, the black fog would be right there behind her. Screwing her eyes closed, she leapt into the trees, hoping that she was right._

Mieri bolted upright in her bed, only just stifling the urge to scream. Tearing back the covers, she slapped at her legs, trying to erase the feeling of the fog rolling up them. When she had calmed down, Mieri took stock of her situation. "That must have been the land of the gods," she finally decided. "It was way too serene and all that crap. At least till that fog came in." She shuddered.

"But what did they mean?" She slapped herself on the head, "Well, duh! They meant that the evil thing was already wherever we were. So that's not good." She frowned. "What about that bonds stuff? What bonds?" With a sudden flash of insight, she stared at the broken necklace on the nightstand. "That must be the link they were talking about!" She carefully picked it up. "And that means…" Her thoughts flashed to the identical necklaces that Aya, Rika, and Yuko all wore. "The bonds of friendship!" Mieri smiled happily, quite pleased with herself for figuring it all out.

Her smile faded as she remembered the gods disappearing in the cloud of black. "We've got to get back!" She scrambled out of bed and headed for the computer room. "Tasuki! Nuriko! Wake up!"

Tasuki turned over in his sleep. "Go away, Koji. It's not even midday."

Nuriko blinked sleepily at her as she slid into the room. "What's wrong? I really have to get more sleep than this!"

Mieri panted a bit from excitement. "We have to get back! I can get us back!"

"What in the world are you talking about?" Nuriko asked yawning. Tasuki mumbled something probably best left unheard.

She marched over to the sleeping bandit. "Get up! I mean it!"

He didn't twitch.

Mieri grinned wickedly and leaned over in his ear. "Tasuki…Aya's here."

"Ah!" Tasuki bolted upright, almost hitting Mieri in the face. As it was, she was thrown back onto her butt. "I swear! It was Tamahome! He's the one who kissed her!"

Nuriko raised a brow. "Kissed? And what were _you_ dreaming about, Tasuki-dearest?"

Tasuki's face turned blood red. "Nothing! Now what's so damned important that you have to wake me up like _that_!"

"Come on!" Mieri's eyes shone excitedly. "I can get us back! We have to go get the necklace fixed! Pronto!"

The two seishi reluctantly followed their Priestess as she all but ran out of the room. They were going down the stairs when they heard a strange voice. "Mieri? Aya? Is that you two?"

Mieri froze. "Oh, no! It's Aunt Sanyo!" she whispered, horrified.

"Who?" Tasuki hissed.

"Shut up!" Mieri gestured. "Yes, Aunt Sanyo! It's us!"

"Oh," the voice was coming from the bedroom on the other side of the kitchen. "I wasn't sure, dear. I thought I heard a man's voice."

"Oh, no!" Mieri laughed nervously. "That was just Aya joking around."

"Where is Aya, dear?"

Mieri looked back at Tasuki and Nuriko with wide eyes, "Um…she's _―_ "

"I'm right here, Aunt Sanyo!" Nuriko called in an impressively girly voice.

"Is that you, Aya? You're voice sounds different…"

"It always sounds this way when I first wake up," Nuriko giggled, playing his role to the hilt. "It'll get back to normal in a few hours."

"Does your breath smell bad, too?"

"Aunt Sanyo!" Mieri gasped, forgetting for a moment that Aya wasn't really there.

"I've got something for that, you know."

"I'm fine!" Nuriko smothered another giggle. "Thank you!"

"We're going out, Aunt Sanyo!" Mieri shook her head. "We'll be back in a while, okay?"

"That's fine, dear. Where are you going?"

"Um…the mall?" Mieri winced.

"Okay. Be back in time for dinner."

"We will!" Mieri motioned for the boys to follow her out the front door. "God!" Mieri gasped when they were safely outside. "I thought we were in trouble for sure!"

"No need to thank my illustrious acting abilities!" Nuriko bowed. "It's all in a day's work!"

"Good grief!" Mieri rolled her eyes. "Let's get going."

"Do you know where you're going?" Nuriko asked hesitantly.

"Nope," Mieri slowed at a traffic light and carefully made her way through the intersection along with about seventy other people. "But I know the general area. Dad and me went to this jewelry store for Mother's Day."

Tasuki stared at the surrounding buildings and vast crowds with awe. "Damn! I've never seen so many people in my entire life!"

"I know!" Mieri grinned. "Isn't it great?"

A man came up and tugged on Nuriko's arm. "Ma'am! Look! You wanna buy something? I have store just around the corner! Very good merchandise!" He spoke a tattered sort of English.

Mieri reached back and propelled Nuriko forward. "We're not some dumb tourists," Mieri scolded in perfect Japanese. "Go find someone else to rob." The man scowled and hurried away before tapping on the arm of an American woman.

"He called me a woman," Nuriko pressed a hand to his cheek. "I thought cutting my hair would send the message!"

"Not in this town!" Mieri snickered. "You're too pretty to be taken for a man."

"Too ugly, I'd say," Tasuki retorted.

Nuriko frowned and hit him lightly ― which meant he staggered ― on the shoulder. "You hush! You're one to talk! I heard what Aya called you! Carrot-top!"

Tasuki brandished his fan. "Shut up! That wench will get hers!" He glanced belatedly at Mieri, but she wasn't paying him any attention.

"I think this is it," Mieri muttered to herself. She stood staring at a shop with no sign. "I can't quite remember…"

"Well, I'm going in!" Tasuki barged through the door.

"Idiot!" Mieri growled as she quickly followed him in.

Nuriko laughed and joined them. The shop was indeed the jeweler's. A tiny old man sat behind the counter and peered at the three of them over his spectacles. "Can I help you?"

Mieri bowed and elbowed Tasuki when he didn't do the same. "I'm afraid I've broken my necklace. It's very important that I get it fixed as soon as possible."

The old man shifted a bit in his chair and held out a hand. "Very well, then. Let's see what you've done to it."

Mieri reached inside her pocket and drew out her necklace. With a withering glare at Tasuki, she handed it over.

The man shook his head. "This isn't a very expensive necklace if you don't mind my saying so. It'd be cheaper to just buy a new one."

"No, no!" Mieri almost cried. "I have to fix this one! It's important to me!"

The man nodded. "Sentiment, eh? Well, I don't think it will take long. Wait here a moment," he turned and walked into the back of his shop.

"Alright!" Tasuki face Mieri. "Now tell us what's going on! I'm not used to being up this early!"

"Tasuki, it's already ten forty five! How late do you sleep!"

Tasuki scowled. "As late as the caravan that we're scheduled to rob! Now stop changing the subject!"

Nuriko nodded in agreement. "What got you so excited?"

Mieri sighed and explained her dream to the two seishi. "So the bonds _must_ be talking about our friendship! And the link has to be the necklace! It's the only thing that all four of us have!"

Nuriko frowned seriously, "I'm more worried about that black fog. It swallowed up all the gods?"

Mieri nodded.

"We'll just find whatever it is and kick its ass!" Tasuki whipped his fan around.

"Idiot," Nuriko admonished softly. "Suzaku said we must find the Lost Ones. Who are they? Was he talking about the other gods' seishi? Or something else entirely?"

"Well, this Taitsukun should know something, right?" Mieri asked. "We'll just ask her."

"That old hag? She never gives straight answers!" Tasuki shuddered. "And I don't want to see her again."

"Well, it can't be helped," Mieri decided firmly. "We'll have to find the others and then go to her."

"Here you are!" the old man popped back out holding Mieri's necklace. "Good as new!"

Mieri seized it with a cry of delight. "Oh, thank you! How much do I owe you?"

The old man waved a hand. "It took nothing but a little time and effort. You don't owe me a thing. I can see it meant quite a lot to you."

Mieri thought of the day they'd all gotten it. Aya had complained that it wouldn't go with anything she wore. Rika had been positively delighted, as usual. Of course, Yuko had been the one to purchase them. It was her threats that had finally convinced Aya to wear it. "Yes..." Mieri agreed softly. "Yes, it does."

"Off with you!" the old man shooed them away. "I'm sure you young people have things to do. And I have other customers to see to!"

Mieri flashed him a brilliant smile. "Thank you, sir!" she bowed once more.

Tasuki and Nuriko bowed also before following Mieri out the door. They all three raced back to Aunt Sanyo's house; Tasuki almost getting hit by a car. Mieri and Nuriko _just_ stopped him before he flamed the poor man shouting furiously out his window.

"You idiot!" Mieri hissed as she pushed Tasuki in the front door. "Cars have gasoline!"

"What's that?" Tasuki asked belligerently as he was forced up the stairs.

"It's something that _explodes_ with flames!"

"Oh."

Mieri sighed and shook her head. "Forget it. Just grab on." Nuriko and Tasuki obediently grabbed an elbow. "Alright," she took a deep breath, "Here it goes."

5


	38. Evil Villain Is Revealed

Ha! Another update by yours truly::accepts adoration of fans: This one was fun cuz I finally got to be evil! D Hee! What am I talking about? Read and find out yourself::evil laughter: We're back to Yuko finally. Poor thing. I've been neglecting her a bit. Ah, well. This chapter and the next few ought to clear that up….Well, anyway! On to the RR's…

Silver: P I DID update fast…or at least…..faster than normal…STOP RUINING MY FUN::cries: And yes…I seriously contemplated having him blow up the car but…I'll save that for a later date… D LOL Seer::also drinks a truck load and is as wobbly as Silver: Whoa…I didn't know the world could move like that….::falls down:

DE8:lol Yes…I could totally see Tasuki as Godzilla. He'd rampage and everything! Only he'd look much sexier doing it than the lizard! . And all that will come in time! I love being a mysterious author…:is shot by rabid fans: Ooh…maybe not…

ET:Hey! P No guessing the plot before I write it! That takes all the fun out of torturing you! And yes…go back to the part where Mieri is reading from the book and that should tell you how long they've been out. And maybe I should let Tasuki blow it up….Everyone seems to want it! o.O

Elena:Hope you recognize your new name…XD Thank you! I feel like that's the whole point of a fanfic. To remind people how much they love the original!

Star:Of course he was gonna blow up the car! This is Tasuki! And I'm gonna read your chapters as SOON as I post this thing! Promise!

Mint:No problem of course. Homework is the devil! Maybe that's why I never do it…:sweatdrop: ANYWAY…that's my fav episode! The New Years Eve one! It's so sweet! TT Yeah…are you talking about the manga? Manga is good! It's got SO much stuff that the anime left out. Plus it extends after the anime ends so that's a plus! Yes…big mystery around that…Lost Ones…Mieri's dream…lol poor readers you just don't know WHAT'S going on do you::evil laughter: And don't tell Mieri but I like Kyo better, too! 

"Are we ever going to get out of here?" Suboshi walked into the inn, turning to face Soi, Amiboshi, and Yuko. He grabbed a chair and spun it around before sitting down. "We've been cooped up here for two days! I'm tired of 'resting'!"

"Take it up with Lord Nakago," Soi suggested with a sniff. "He's the one who's waiting for something."

"Like what?" Yuko snapped running her fingers around the rim of her sake glass. One good thing about Ancient China. No legal drinking age. "We know Ashitare is way to the east of us…So wouldn't it make more sense to ― you know ― go to him?"

"And Nakago's been closeted up with Tomo and Miboshi the whole time." Amiboshi smiled wryly. "You'd think he didn't trust us."

"He lets me in!" Soi protested.

Yuko snickered. "Yeah. At night."

Soi gazed at her priestess with reproach and a little hurt.

"Just kidding!" Yuko added hastily, earning a smile from Soi. "But really! What is he up to?"

"You'll find out tonight," Miboshi floated into the room.

Yuko only barely suppressed a shiver. No matter what Miboshi had told Nakago or her, she didn't feel right about the…whatever he was…in the little girl's body. Dying or not. His eyes were too dead. To unreadable. "What do you mean?"

"We have received correspondence from a certain party for the last day or so. He's agreed to meet us at this location tonight. That is what Nakago has been waiting for."

"Thanks for telling us," Suboshi muttered.

Miboshi immediately fixed his blank stare on him. "Whom Nakago tells is none of our concern. He probably didn't want to distract you from…guarding the Priestess." The pause left little doubt that he'd been about to say something else. Like 'babysitting'. Yuko scowled. But Miboshi had done all the talking he was going to apparently. He turned and floated back up the stairs and into his room as quietly as he'd come.

"Well, you only say that cause you know," Suboshi muttered, but he made sure it was _after_ Miboshi had left.

Yuko rolled her eyes. "Stop complaining. Now. Who do you suppose this 'correspondence' could be?"

Soi shrugged, "Beats me. He hasn't told me anything about any letters."

"If Nakago's meeting with him, he must be pretty bad," Amiboshi commented.

"Hey! Play nice!" Yuko protested. "Nakago's not all bad! He's just a little…cool."

Amiboshi barked out a laugh. "Yes, Priestess. If that's what you say."

Yuko glared at his sarcasm. "Let's go get something to eat. I'm starving!"

"And more than a little tipsy…" Suboshi sang out softly.

But not softly enough. "I'll make sure you get an extra training session with me tomorrow," Yuko promised darkly.

She spoke of the sword lessons Nakago had insisted she take until she learned her powers as a Priestess. These lessons consisted of Nakago instructing and rarely going a round with her while the other seishi ― with the exception of Miboshi for obvious reasons ― took turns practicing with her under Nakago's strict eye. Amiboshi had so far been the one chosen most often for these wearying battles. For a reason Yuko had yet to discern, the others were a little cool to Amiboshi. Even Suboshi ― his own twin ― sometimes hesitated in front of his brother.

Suboshi winced. "Aw, come on! It's true!"

"I'm drunk!" Yuko smiled wickedly. "I don't have to have a reason!"

Suboshi groaned and pointed up the stairs. "Let's go to bed. I _do_ know that by the time this stranger appears, we'll be long asleep."

"But I wanna see him!" Yuko whined.

"No. Suboshi's right," Soi admitted. "He probably won't come until everyone else is asleep. We should rest while we can."

"I'm not tired," Amiboshi volunteered. "I'll wake you up when he gets here."

Soi looked at him oddly but shrugged. "Now will you rest, Priestess?"

Yuko eyed Amiboshi for a moment and finally sighed. "Whatever. It's not like you'll let me stay down here anyway…" She trudged up the stairs and into her room followed by Soi. Although they shared a room, Yuko mostly had it to herself.

Suboshi hung back. "Amiboshi…" he began.

"Stop looking at me like that!" Amiboshi snapped. "I'm not going to do anything, okay! I'm just going to sit here and play my flute because I'm not that tired."

"But ―"

"I said I'd help you, "Amiboshi looked away. "Stop treating me like I might turn into a monster and eat you. As long as they don't give me reason ― and probably even if they do ― I'll stay with you."

Suboshi sighed at the bitterness in Amiboshi's voice. But what did he expect? He had turned his back on them all. Faking amnesia and hiding in a village only to suddenly reappear with the Suzaku no Miko of the time and actually aid her. It was no wonder Nakago didn't trust him and Tomo and Miboshi thought he should be sent away. If he wasn't a seishi and needed they'd probably have killed him by now.

That thought turned Suboshi cold. What would happen when they _didn't_ need him anymore? Would they just get rid of him? Mouth set in a hard line, Suboshi swore again to protect Amiboshi. He'd killed once for his brother. He'd do it again.

"Are you going to sleep, brother?" Amiboshi asked quietly with a worried look on his face.

It was only then that Suboshi realized that he'd been standing motionless with one foot on the steps, a frown on his face. "Oh! Sorry. I got lost in thought is all."

"About what?" Amiboshi asked gently.

"Oh, the stranger," Suboshi lied. "I can't think of who he might be."

Amiboshi stared at him for a split second then smiled. "Go to sleep. Maybe it'll come to you in your dreams."

"Yeah…maybe." Suboshi continued up the stairs and into their room.

"Hey! Wake up!"

Yuko mumbled crossly. "Rika, I'm not going sightseeing with you again! Leave me alone!"

A few seconds later, "Who's Rika?"

Yuko's eyes shot open as she realized where she was. She bolted up and turned to look at Amiboshi. "Get out! Get out, get out, get out! Now!"

"Geez! I'm going!" Amiboshi threw up an arm to shield himself from the sudden flood of pillows. "I just thought you'd like to know that guy is here. He wants to talk to you, too."

Yuko paused. "The guy that was supposed to talk with Nakago?"

Amiboshi nodded.

"Why didn't you say so!" Yuko fumed as she rolled out of bed and shook Soi awake.

"I did…" Amiboshi muttered as he turned to leave the room.

In record time, Yuko and Soi were dressed and headed down the stairs. When they reached the bottom they scanned the room. Seeing as how it was around three in the morning, no one but their group was in sight. They quickly crossed to the tables and sat warily down, eyeing their visitor.

He had a pretty face and long silver hair that probably would have fell to his knees had he been standing. His eyes were a gold color and cold. "You are the Priestess?" he asked, and his voice was like honey. It seemed almost musical. Yuko found herself liking it at once.

She nodded. "Yeah. Who are you?"

The man inclined his head. "I am Lord Tenkouu."

"_Lord_ Tenkouu?" Yuko stressed his title and looked at him skeptically. "And what exactly do you want with me?"

"I wish to ask for your aid in a…pet project of mine."

"Uh….huh. And what pet project would that be?" Yuko was being pretty rude, but the man didn't seem to mind at all.

"Since you are the Priestess, you have come from another world. Is that correct?"

Yuko nodded, bored. What was this guy getting at?

"This world is failing. Without the Priestesses, we have no reason to exist. So….we will not after a while."

_That_ made Yuko sit up and listen. She hadn't told anyone about her suspicions that this world was the book Rika had been translating. It had occurred to her several days after she'd been ― separated ― from Mieri. The others seemed to be clueless that they were actually characters in a story, but this Tenkou…he acted like he knew and didn't care…

"And you want me to use one of my wishes to save the world?" Yuko couldn't help the sarcasm that rose in her voice.

"No." Tenkou leaned forward, and his voice seemed to deepen. "I want you to create a portal between the worlds, so that we can cross over."

"Do what!" Yuko yelped. "Are you insane! I don't think that could even work! And I'm not totally sure it would be a good idea!"

"So you'd rather let the rest of us fade away into oblivion when you return home?" Tenkou raised a brow.

Yuko stopped and glanced around at all her seishi that she'd gathered. Nakago and Miboshi were as expressionless as ever. Tomo and Soi looked like they were trying to hide some alarm. And Amiboshi and Suboshi ― aside from looking shocked ― were both looking a tad hurt. She sighed. "No. I don't want the rest of you to fade into oblivion. But what would you do when you got to my world? Tokyo has things that these people would never have dreamed of. They'd die of shock!"

"Precisely. Things we've never dreamed of. Since our world is already failing, doesn't it make sense to take us to a world that has more than we do?"

"How did you get that?" Yuko was confused now.

"Think of it, Priestess. Children are dying right now from diseases that would be laughable in your world. Mothers are dying in childbirth because they don't know any better way to do things. I have visited your world once. I know. You could give these people a better life."

Yuko winced as she realized the reality of Tenkou's words. He was right. These people were dying from things like _colds_. And if their world was already dying…"Alright. I'll help you out. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to do it, though."

Tenkou's eyes shone. "For now all we need do is discover your powers as Priestess."

Yuko took the time to watch the twins before she headed back up to her room for some much needed sleep. It surprised her that while Amiboshi looked a bit unhappy, it was Suboshi who was truly frowning. She shrugged it off. Who knew what those two were thinking? And she had enough to think about as it was.

4


	39. A Power Is Discovered

1Okay! I'm back from the dead! Between college and certain hurricanes destroying said college, I haven't been able to write at all! TT Depressing….the good news is that I now have my laptop (that's why I'm on now…) and despite being left at college throughout the hurricane, Mugen (my laptop) has survived. Though I was worried there b/c my poor computer is named after a fav. character…kick ass swordsman but he can't read…so I was worried that he wouldn't know how to swim! O.O Anyways! I've gotten SO many reviews that criticize Yuko. "How could she trust Nakago!" "Doesn't she know Tenkou is evil!" She doesn't know! She hasn't had the benefit of watching/reading Fushigi Yuugi and subsequent OAV's…she's never seen these people in her life! You see some admittedly hott guy on the street. Is your first thought 'Man he's evil….' No. So why would hers be! I'm sorry if this annoys some of you but I'm trying to keep things realistic. I can't stand it when authors create these characters who just "intuitively know" when there is danger or who is evil or not. Call it a pet peeve…Mieri and Rika are my exceptions but that's just because they can read people really well. Aya can to a certain degree but she's basically a bitch to everyone. Yuko however is clueless. I'm sorry. She wouldn't know the Anti-Christ from the Pope. That's just the way she is. :sigh: Now that my little rant is over…On with the RR's!

Star:lol! You are so goofy! And weird...sake is the devil. It's definitely a developed taste...o.O In any case...yes, yes...Tenkou is evil...so is Nakago and all the rest...but give the girl some credit! Man, she don't know anything about them...plus...:points to above: Yeah...And I read your stories. YAY! I loved them! Didn't have time to review and for that I apologize...

Silver:You? Hyper? No...lol Seer! Seer is the best! But I don't drink coffee so I wouldn't know anything about cappachinos...lol And I haven't seen you online...:cries: You're so mean! Get on!

Chaos:Girl...You are gonna HAVE ta stop changin your name...lol You don't celebrate Valentine's Day? Wow...Yeah...manga is SO much better! It goes on...and on...and ON! And...um...Nakago wanted Yuko to have sword lessons because...well...really I wanted Yuko to have the lessons lol And Amiboshi is a poor, tortured creature...whom I shall protect til the day I die::fights off all rabid fangirls of Ami with a stick: Tata!

ET:Yes...I didn't realize it but this plot line is too familiar... P I hated how Yui and Miaka hated each other...And Ami is always cute! Always! Lol

DE8:Yeah...personally I wouldn't trust Tenkou either...but although Yuko is tough as nails...she's a bit dense in the whole judging-people department...And I deeply apologize to all Seiryu seishi fans but they're not being pulled...they're practically running into the jaws of evil. Well–most of them. They can't help it. And they make such darn good bad guys!

LT:Whoot! Hurray for hyper people! Heh heh...And I'm so glad that my story is helping you with FY! That totally makes my day! And I'm so jealous about your FY collection...:cries: Sorry your PC is acting wacky...my internet is on the blink...:cries even harder:

Animemoma:Yay! I am SO happy! I was so excited when I found out that I had an older reader! I was kinda worried that my stories would only appeal to the younger readers...which isn't bad...but it's nice to know that adults can enjoy them too! And yes...there will be romance...I'm just totally slow about working up to it. Lol You want your daughter to read it? Wow...I hope she likes it too...

"Okay! Screw this!" Yuko threw up her hands and sat down suddenly on the soft dirt. "I have no powers! This is bullshit!"

Tenkou was the epitome of grace and calm. "You have powers. You have only to find them."

Yuko glared up at him. "Easy for you to say! You're not the one having to figure out what the fuck they are! With no fucking clue what they are! I could have the power to make people SNEEZE and I wouldn't ever know it!"

"Lady Yuko, I seriously doubt this is the case," Miboshi sat on the ground at the edge of what they used as their practice arena. It was about a mile into the woods – well away from the inn and any potential visitors. The wide circular area had been cleared of any and all vegetation thanks to a series of brilliant lightning strikes from Soi. The dirt that was left was soft if a bit charred.

"Oh, that's it!" Yuko clenched her fists and ground out, "I don't care how many fucking lives I could save! _It's not worth it!_"

Tenkou glided to her side followed by Nakago. "Patience. It will take time to learn the nature of your powers."

"Perhaps what she needs is real danger," Nakago suggested calmly. "The former Priestess of Suzaku only discovered her latent power of protection after a...frightening encounter."

Yuko glanced quickly at him. "So what you want me to go throw myself of a cliff and see if I can fly!"

Nakago smiled. "Perhaps not in quite that way, but yes. We, of course, would be right there if a rescue seemed prudent."

"Oh, 'if a rescue seems prudent'," Yuko mocked him. She was in a decidedly bad mood and wasn't in the mood to be calmed down as of yet. "I could die!"

Nakago seemed about to offer yet another meaningless reassurance when his head snapped up. "Ah. It's about time. I was wondering if he would ever get here."

"Who?" Yuko asked, shocked out of her tantrum.

The other seishi looked up, too. They all seemed to be focusing on the same patch of woods. Yuko stared but could determine nothing special about the bushes and trees in that area.

"Who are —" she was interrupted by a violent shaking from said patch of woods. Her eyes grew wide and she took a few steps back. The shaking stopped, only to start again. No one spoke. No one moved.

Just when Yuko thought she would pass out from the tension, a dark figure leapt from behind the safety of the thick brush. She screamed and threw her hands up. And sharp crack deafened her for an instant before hands grabbed her hard around her stomach and pulled her.

"Oof!" she hit the ground with a thud and rubbed her stomach. Pulling up her shirt, she determined that — no — there were no bruises. "What in the world happened?" She asked without thinking and before she could look around.

An entire tree lay on the ground before her. The trunk nearer to the ground had been splintered, causing it to topple over. Had she not been moved, she would undoubtedly been crushed beneath the monstrous weight of the thing.

"Whoa..." Yuko looked at the gathered group with wide eyes. She quickly picked out a new face — though perhaps saying 'face' was being generous. The figure now half-crouching before Nakago was almost as much beast as man. From what Yuko could see, his entire body was covered with dark hair. Dark hair extended down his neck like a mane, and sharp canines protruded from his mouth. Brown eyes were fixed upon the ground. His nails had grown out until they resembled claws, and when he spoke it was a harsh, guttural sound.

"I am here." This simple sentence seemed to sum up everything. This could be none other than Ashitare: the last of the Seven. The final piece in the puzzle.

"Did you do that?" Yuko asked suddenly. She pointed to the huge tree now lying helpless on the forest floor.

Tenkou suddenly appeared before her, startling her. "No, my dear. You did."

"Me!" Yuko laughed. "You've got to be kidding me! There's no way I could do that! I didn't even get near it!"

"And yet the moment you extended your hand, the trunk...exploded."

Yuko looked at her hands. A thought came to her, and she thrust them away from her body. "What do I do with them?" she looked at Soi, about to panic.

Soi laughed. "Don't worry. You shouldn't have any problems with blowing yourself up. You haven't done it yet, have you?"

"No..." Yuko answered slowly. She slowly lowered her hands back to her side, though they were a bit stiff.

"Try to blow something else up," Tenkou encouraged. "We'll need to see if it was a fluke."

Sniffing, Yuko cautiously pointed at another tree. This time she made sure there was no way it would fall on them. Nothing happened. "Well, guess that solves that mystery," she cursed.

"Concentrate," Tenkou instructed firmly. "This time try thinking of something that frightens you."

"I'm not scared of anything!" Yuko protested.

"You only used your powers when Ashitare leapt out of the brush and frightened you," Tenkou countered.

Yuko muttered but called to mind the most frightening thing she could think of. She pointed again and...nothing. She glared at Tenkou.

Tenkou sighed. "Lady Yuko, you're going to have to —"

A large wolf growled suddenly behind them. Fangs flashed momentarily before it bounded straight towards Yuko's throat. She screamed again and threw up her hands. The tree behind the wolf splintered into a million pieces, leaving not even enough to fall. The wolf immediately disappeared.

"It appears that her aim could use some improvement," Tomo intoned with that creepy laugh of his. He held his Shin in one hand mockingly.

Yuko sat gasping for air. She wasn't used to being frightened and never twice within five minutes. "You — you bastard! I almost had a heartattack!"

"And yet now we know what you're true power is," Nakago commented. He turned towards Tenkou. "Is there any way to use it?"

Tenkou stared at her for a moment before regretfully shaking his head. "Her power is far too destructive. I need something with a gentler touch. Something with more control."

"What now?" Soi asked. The twins were silent and merely watched.

Tenkou paused. "There are still three other Priestesses. Each presumably with her own powers. One of them _has_ to work. We will just have to find them and...convince them to join our cause."

Yuko felt tears well up. "Actually, there's only two left. One of them died."

Tenkou frowned. "No, there are —"

"I watched it happen," Nakago interrupted. "The one called Mieri was killed by wolves shortly after I found them. She tragically did not survive."

Tenkou frowned for a moment before nodding. "It's possible that I could be mistaken. It is difficult even for me to sense them. I merely assumed that I had lost contact."

Yuko angrily shook her head, banishing the tears. "Whatever. I don't want to talk about it."

"As you wish," Tenkou bowed slightly from the waist. "Well. Since it seems we have all seven of the seishi as well as having discovered Lady Yuko's powers...there is only one thing left to do."

"What's that?" Amiboshi spoke up suddenly. Beside him, Suboshi stiffened.

Tenkou smiled, slow and deliberate. "We find the other Priestesses, of course."


	40. An Encounter of the Bandit Kind

Hello my faithful readers! Lol As you can see I'm back from my sabbatical…College life is so hard….T--T But I have been working on this faithfully—slowly….—but faithfully! So I've finally gotten enough time to work on it a lot. And this is the chapter I've come up with! laughs I know I was supposed to do Rika next…But…I'm having a little writer's block in that area. Poor Rika…she's only gotten one seishi…so the next time we visit Rika we'll probably spend quite a lot of time on her. I hope that makes you Rika fans feel better. Anywho. If you would, while reviewing, tell me which seishi you want to see in Byakko and Genbu! D Not making any promises but I need some ideas. Oh! Here's the Review Responses:

Silver: P You dork! You're never on! How can I talk to you when you're never on! whines greatly Hee! I'm so excited that I'm back to writing! I've missed it so…lol And Miaka's existence had a point…its point was to gather together a group of hott and sexy young men. That—I believe—is the most important thing of all. D And yes. When Yuko finds out that they've been tricking her…well. I'll let you imagine that one.

AM:Well…yes. By all accounts, Yuko should have noticed something. But I'm trying to keep my characters' reactions as normal as possible. And in my experience, if people aren't expecting someone to do something that bad, they just…don't think of the possibilities. They'll even ignore all the signs. Like when someone is murdered and the neighbors just "can't believe he would do something like that". Ya know? So…if you don't think this is a correct assumption let me know please! I really am OCD about these kinds of things…lol I was actually just thinking that I didn't make Tenkou creepy enough. He's trying to put on a good act for Yuko. I'll try and make sure that I add an aside later on where his full creepiness is revealed! And I'll try to tone it down some. Although that's Yuko's favorite word…lol.

Tenni:Oh! You weren't going on about it! Its just that I got a lot of comments on it. And I really wanted people to know why I did it. - And yes. Tenkou's plotting is freaking everyone out I think! Lol And as to what he's looking for…we'll see! But he IS looking for a very specific power.

Dimonah:Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy reading about all the seishi! Although some of the seishi are just unknown. I try to let readers know what information is fact and what information I've had to make up for the story's purposes. - Keep reading!

D8:Hee! I know! Blowing things up is the COOLEST power! I wanted it so bad! P But it goes better with Yuko's personality. So have it, she does.

Ayshia:Hee! Truth be told…yes! Rika and Chichiri are a potential couple…And romance scenes won't come up until everyone gets back together and has a chance to let their love bloom…eyes go all starry

Yuko!How are you doing lovely! Am I staying true to your…unique…personality? Lol Don't kill me! Anywho. You'll be coming up soon enough. Try to be patient until that happens…Once again…Don't kill me! Bye girl!

LT:Eek! You've been waiting a long time haven't you! Lol Here at last is your update. And yes. Yuko is a poor unsuspecting…glances back up at Yuko…gorgeous…lovely…bright…person…um…yeah…

Schectersona:Wow…what does your name mean? That's a mouthful! Glad I can just type it and not pronounce it…--...hee! Make sure you remember to breathe! At least once every chapter. At least. Anywho…here you go. The next chapter!

All four seishi immediately surrounded their priestess. "Hey!" Aya protested. Arashi threw her head up in defiance and tried to force her way past the other four animals. But they were having none of it.

"Get your damn horse under control, Aya!" Tokaki yelled as he pulled out his large hoop earrings.

Aya, with a few spoken words to Arashi, focused her attention to the immediate problem -- the bandits that were quickly making their way towards the small party. "I have weapons for a reason," she growled. "I can fend for myself, you know!"

Tatara cut a glance at Tokaki. "Will you stop trying to activate those? We do _not_ want to get into a fight. If possible, we'll talk our way out of this one."

"And what if they don't want to talk?" Tokaki frowned.

Tatara took a deep breath, "I didn't say put them away."

Aya was furious with her seishi. She was not a child! She quietly drew her knives from her saddlebags. There were ten in all. No one had really expected her to use them. They were more a precautionary measure. Well, now the time had come; and Aya was not going to be told to sit in the corner like a good girl. She kept five in her hand, but two she placed in each of her boots. The last one she carefully --carefully! -- placed in her cleavage. No one was gonna come anywhere close to _those_ without some broken bones to show for it.

"Subaru," Kokie spoke up, "Use your powers to make us appear old and useless. They will not expect a fight from a group of the elderly making their way to a friend's wake."

Subaru laughed a little. "Is that to be our cover story then? Very well. Although, I for one do not enjoy the thought of going back to creaking bones and aching joints." She closed her eyes and concentrated. The entire group shimmered as if lost in a heat wave. When they came back into focus, it was with an additional sixty years or so.

Aya let out a high-pitched scream. "Put me back this **_instant_**!"

"Aya, it's for ―" Tatara tried to explain.

Aya cut him off. "I don't care! There is no way in Hell that I'm going to be seen like this! I have wrinkles! And being old HURTS!"

The now much older Subaru sighed even as she struggled not to start giggling. Well…_she_ hadn't exactly gone gracefully into _her_ old age…"Calm down, dear. It's not like you have to stay like this. It's only temporary."

Aya glared. "And what happens if you're now so old that you decide to drop dead? It happens. I've seen it! What happens to me then!"

Subaru paused to consider that. She'd never really thought about it. "Well, you'd either return to normal immediately or…"

"Exactly!" Aya nodded firmly. "Now turn me back! Even Arashi doesn't like it!" Indeed the petite mare's ears were flicking back and forth at a furious rate. Her eyes rolled around and around as she tried desperately to discover what had happened to her mistress. Both looked horse and rider looked as if they were ready to pitch a full-fledged fit at any moment.

Subaru sighed. "Very well. But how will we explain your presence?"

Aya snorted, "Say I'm your granddaughter, here to take care of you during the long journey. I don't care!" She was starting to sound panicked.

Kokie grunted; and when he spoke, his voice was much deeper and had a gravelly tone to it. "It would be better to have one of us able to see clearly. My eyesight seems to have gone…"

Tokaki grinned. Becoming old had no affect on his lecherous nature. "I, for one, say that Aya goes back to being her normal, young, sexy self."

"Alright!" Subaru snapped. "I get the picture. Tatara?" She turned to the quiet ― now old ― man.

Tatara shrugged. "I am outvoted. I would prefer that one of us stay young as well, but it doesn't seem that we shall have the time." He gave a quick jerk with his chin, indicating the bandits. They were only a few moments away.

Subaru nodded tersely. She quickly summoned her powers and focused them on Aya. Within seconds, Aya was back to her normal age.

Arashi settled down quickly, and Aya moved out in front of her seishi. When Tatara made as if to protest, Aya gazed at him steadily. "Wouldn't it seem strange for the only person under thirty to hide behind her elders?" She refused to say anything more and turned back to face the threat that pounded towards them.

The riders finally arrived, bows at ready and arrows nocked. The six of them were quickly surrounded. There was a silence as if they were waiting for something. And then -- as they parted -- it became apparent that they were waiting for some_one_. A young man looking to be only about a year or two older than Aya rode his horse confidently through the path left by the men. His men. His eyes calmly scanned the group.

"So." His voice was smooth and effortless. "You wish to cross my desert? Rather impolite of you to barge in without asking."

Aya bristled. She looked around with exaggerated slowness. Her eyes were wide, her tone innocent, when she turned to face him again. "Your desert? I'm sorry. Maybe I'm missing something, but I fail to see your mark of ownership." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "How, then, can you claim to own the desert?" Behind her, Byakko's chosen Seven barely managed to restrain their groans.

The man seemed taken aback for a moment. "Why by the same right I claim anything else." He leaned forward in his saddle, causing the leather to creak and his horse to sidle closer. "By force. I live here, girl. And have for the entirety of my life. The Clan and I both claim this land as our own. And you, my dear, are trespassing."

Aya urged Arashi forward until the two horses were uncomfortably close. "We wouldn't be trespassing for long if some uncouth _barbarians_ hadn't pounded up waving their little spears around. "We'd be on our way out of 'your' desert."

The man rocked back in his saddle. After a second he threw his head back and laughed. Aya gaped open-mouthed as he shook and tears ran silently down his face. "I don't think anyone has spoken to me in that tone of voice in years!" He turned around and spoke in a swift language that Aya couldn't quite catch. The man behind him laughed as well.

"What exactly is so funny!" Aya fumed. She gripped her knives tightly in her grasp. What was up with this guy!

He wiped his eyes with some effort. "We find it amusing that you think yourself in the position to make demands." The smile was gone from both his eyes and his voice.

Tokaki's hands tightened unconsciously on his weapons. He edged his own horse forward a few inches.

Cocking his head to the side, the bandit leader flashed them a feral smile. "So. You merely wish to cross my desert?"

Aya nodded. "I'm escorting my grandmother and a few of her friends to a funeral."

"And you are along because...?"

"I'm along to protect them of course," she sniffed. "They are pretty old..."

"Ah..." he lunged towards Aya, pulling her off Arashi and holding her in front of him like a shield.

Immediately, weapons appeared out of nowhere. Tokaki's earrings had somehow -- lengthened. They were now about the same size as Tatara's staff -- which had also suddenly appeared. Each end was sharp -- there was little doubt as to what his intentions were. Kokie's sword was also out and ready. Subaru, of course, had her strange needles at her sides.

Arashi reared, incensed that this man had dared lay hands on her mistress. Aya's voice cut through the near pandemonium. "Arashi! Chill out!" Arashi's feet hit the ground. The delicate mare snorted violently, dancing around, but not resisting the hands of two of the bandits. "Any harm that comes to my horse will be repayed two-fold on you," Aya promised darkly.

"For someone who is supposed to be protecting them...it surely seems like it is _they_ who are protecting _you_. Care to explain?"

Tatara shrugged. "I don't believe it makes much difference either way. We apologize for intruding in your lands --" Aya snorted, but was thankfully ignored. "Let her go and we'll be on our way."

The bandit leader shook his head. "No, I'm afraid it makes quite a difference. Hand over your weapons, or..." he left the threat hanging in the air.

Subaru was the first to move. "I told you your big mouth was going to get you in trouble," she chided Aya.

Sticking out her tongue, Aya attempted a shrug. "I've never been known for taking advice from my elders."

The others soon followed Subaru's example and lay their weapons at the feet of the leader. Several bandits scrambled forward to pick them up. "Come. I'll show you to my home," he spoke to Aya. "Then maybe you will believe me when I say I own this desert."

Aya was scared stiff and was barely holding back tears. But it'd be a cold day in Hell before she'd let anyone know. Instead she rolled her blue eyes skyward. "Oh, please. I'm dying to see your collection of tents..."


	41. Shen

Hello dears! Once again I've managed to scrape up enough time to work on this. I'm dreadfully sorry that it's taking so long…But ― Life calls. TT I'm terribly saddened by that of course. But! Summer is here at last! College and all its nasty finals are out of the way! For a few months at least. I do have a job now but I'm all caught up on my work so I get paid $10/hr to surf the internet and work on my story! D Lucky me. Anywho. To make up for taking so long, I've made this chapter super long. Can't decide if I should finally get going on Rika or finish up this segment in Aya's story…ideas? Always appreciated even if not followed! Feedback, as always, is welcome. So here are the RR's!

Schec.:Sorry! Your name has officially been shortened! Welcome to the club! Anywho…polish, huh? Very cool. I'm sorry it took so long. But my updates will probably never come quickly.

LT:YAY! Someone remembered my b-day! I'm 19! Whoot! I know…manga is so expensive! Good luck on all that! And thanks again! I'll keep your wishes in mind!

D8:Hee! Glad you liked it! And being old is the worst! Your body goes nuts, your mind goes nuts, your family goes nuts trying to care for you….it just sucks all around. Not that there aren't some really cool elderly people out there. But I want to stay young…sigh….too bad it'll never happen lol

Tenni:Of COURSE I reviewed! Why wouldn't I? I'm glad you liked the chapter and I missed you too! I'm glad someone caught on that Aya isn't as strong as she pretends to be. It makes me so happy when the little things are noticed…

AM:It has been awhile, huh? And I LOVED that movie! It was so awesome! Hated that he died though…that sucked. And I'm mentioning his looks in this chapter. I got so caught up in writing the plot that I forgot to mention it…it'd be so easier if you lazy readers would just learn how to read my mind! Lol

He-yan:Yay! A new reader! I'm glad you like it. And YES! It's extremely hard to keep up with all four stories at once. You not only have to remember what everyone is doing and who knows what, but there's the whole thing about keeping everyone at around the same time period…that's the REALLY hard part…I have to keep a chart that lists who's on what day! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

Silver:Hiya, chick! It didn't take that long…((pouts))…but I guess I'll have to try to update sooner next time, right? Lol And Yes! I love that idea about the bandit…I'll have to use it in some way…((evil grin)) See ya!

Kokie and Tokaki paled at the enormity of this hidden encampment. He could literally have hidden an entire army in the space occupied by the tents. The bandit leader turned to them and smiled. "Welcome." Hundreds of tents littered the sand in the strange oasis valley. All in neat little rows, they stretched far into the distance, broken only by the palm trees and the large lake off to one side. This "Clan" was no small nomadic tribe. It seemed to be a force all its own. Dogs and children darted between tent stakes, playing games. Women chatted as they washed and cooked and cleaned.

The group made their way carefully down the hill on horseback as people drifted outside to greet their war party. Upon realizing that strangers were in their midst, the children disappeared. The dogs grew stiff legged and aggressive. The women stopped their idle talk and only stared suspiciously. Weapons popped up from seemingly no where as they rode closer and closer. A man stepped forth from the crowd that had gathered at the edge of the 'village'. "What have you brought us this time, Shen?" he called out.

The leader, Shen apparently, smiled his unique grin. "Guests, of course. Show the gentlemen," he gave a short bow in their direction, "to one of the spare tents. The young one and the grandmother will reside in my tent until something more suitable can be found."

The man looked slyly at him. "The young one _and_ the grandmother?"

Another grin, "Of course. Must be proper and all that."

"Of course." The man motioned for Tokaki, Tatara, and Kokie to come. All three hesitated. A wink from Subaru and a nod from Aya sent them reluctantly following the strange man. This left Subaru and Aya conspicuously alone among the strange desert nomads.

"So…which way to a bed?" Aya asked from her uncomfortable spot against Shen.

Shen's laughter rang out. "Abrupt as always I see! So be it!" He dropped Aya to the ground where she landed with an indignant squeal. The next instant he was hauling her to her feet. Enraged, she snatched her arm from his grasp.

"I will not be hauled around your camp like a dog!" She hissed venomously. "Either lead me onward like a normal person or get out of the way while I find it myself!" She strode off, pushing away from him.

"Oh, Princess!" He called after her. She turned with an audible huff of breath. "My tent would be that way." He pointed behind and to the left. Without a word ― her face dark and foreboding ― Aya spun around and began practically running in the direction he pointed. A grinning Shen and a rueful Subaru followed at a slightly more sedate pace. Shen occasionally called directions to the still furious Aya. She followed them silently and instantly. At one point she was sure she heard the neigh of horses, but was quickly sidetracked by another called direction from the Shen. Eventually, she stopped in front of a grand tent, much larger than the others.

"Yours, I assume?" Subaru walked quickly forward to join Aya before she did anything rash…like burn it.

"As humble as it is," Shen bowed before stepping up and sweeping the door flap aside for them.

Despite themselves, both of the girls were impressed. The interior was far larger than it looked from the outside. The floor was covered in a soft animal skin of some kind. Furs and blankets of all kinds were stacked by the edges of the walls. Another animal skin separated a section of the back from the rest, which must be the common room. On the walls themselves, there were pictures of everything from hunting parties to what appeared to be naked maidens. Aya's face turned crimson as she caught glimpses of suggestive poses; she whirled away. "Not bad," she admitted.

"Glad you approve," there was a hint of dry sarcasm in his voice, and again, Aya found herself flushing.

"What really was the point of bringing us here?" Subaru got right to the point. "I assume there was one?"

"I'm intrigued by you. I want to know more about your strange connection to this girl." His eyes pierced the girl's. "I want to find out if she is worth protecting." Subaru looked up, eyes narrowed. Something in his voice gave her pause. Where had she heard that before…? "In any case, you may sleep here. The furs and blankets are at your disposal. Just make a pallet on the floor." He turned and strode towards the door.

"Shen!" Aya called before she could stop herself. He turned and looked back at her questioningly. She flushed and looked down. When she again met his gaze, her eyes were challenging. "Who said I needed protecting?"

Lips curled in a faint smile. "Getting past _your_ defenses, my dear, would be half the fun of protecting you." Without another word he left the tent. There was silence for a moment.

"Pick up your tongue, dear," Subaru cut in sarcastically.

"I never ―" Aya squealed angrily.

"Oh, shut up," Subaru laughed. "I was young…an hour ago? I know very well what you're thinking."

Aya grumbled. "I can't help it. He's hott." Indeed, standing about an inch under six feet, Shen cut an imposing figure. His shoulder-length, dark brown hair was pulled back into a low ponytail but couldn't completely hold back the bangs that framed his face so perfectly. And his surprisingly blue eyes seemed to jump out at you.

Subaru snorted, "I can see that. Well, in any case, we need to get some sleep." At Aya's skeptical glance she corrected herself. "Okay, _I_ need to get some sleep. I've been doing a lot of the work around here what with ― everything ― and I'm tired. Plus the desert tribes tend to nap in the middle of the day. It's too hot to do anything, so they sleep."

Giving in, the priestess grabbed an armload of the furs from the fringes of the room. The thickest she lay down for Subaru, quoting something about old bones. The rest she took for herself; and surprisingly, it took her no time at all to fall deeply asleep.

_Aya sat up and looked around. For a moment, she was confused. She wasn't in Shen's tent, and her seishi were no where to be seen. Getting carefully to her feet, she studied her surroundings. She appeared to be in a meadow, but it was unlike any she had ever seen. The trees surrounded her grass enclosure in a perfect circle with not a single gap showing beyond. It was as if this meadow was the only place left in the entire world. Something else that caught her attention was the total and complete lack of animal life. No birdsong, no butterflies, not even insects marred the scenery. It was creepy. Aya shivered and rubbed her arms to shake the feeling of being watched. She began to walk towards the trees _― _and towards the relative safety of the forest canopy _― _when something blocked her path. Aya jumped and froze in her tracks. A huge white tiger stood staring her practically in the eyes. In her head, Aya knew she was dreaming. She knew that no tiger could possibly be this big. But it was hard to convince her frantic heart that the tiger in front of her was a figment of her imagination when she could _feel_ its breath on her face, hear its low growl of warning._

_**Greetings, Priestess of Byakko.** A voice sounded from behind her. Aya spun around to face this knew threat, not thinking of the ultimate stupidity of turning her back on a tiger. But, then, this wasn't real, was it? Now she was positive that this was the product of some drug that Shen had undoubtedly slipped her. A bird, every bit as large as the Tiger, hovered in front of her amazed eyes. It was a lovely rose red all over and seemed almost to sparkle in the sunlight. If she wasn't mistaken, it almost looked like the mighty Phoenix of legend._

_"Um…hi?" she answered hesitantly._

_**Do not fear us,** the Tiger stepped around her to take a seat beside the Phoenix, who had finally opted to land. **We have brought you here to warn you.**_

_A new voice spoke up to her left. **There is a great threat coming to our world. You must be prepared to protect it.**_

_Aya turned once again, slightly calmer this time, to see a great blue dragon. It reminded her of the Chinese dragons with its long serpentine body and long whiskers. "Will you guys stop that! It's creepy! Just come out please!"_

_There was a dry chuckle back near the other two animals. Turning with a huff for the final time, she saw a huge tortoise. Only this tortoise had what appeared to be a snake growing inside its shell with it. Very disturbing. **This priestess is direct. I like her.**_

_"Okay…back to this threat I'm expected to stop," Aya rolled her eyes. What a strange dream. "I know the world is in trouble. That's why you brought us here. But what's wrong! What is the threat?"_

_**Darkness is pooling. Darkness so great that even the Seven Stars of the gods will not be able to defeat,** the Phoenix flapped its wings swiftly before settling back down._

_**This Darkness seeks to use anger, hate, and jealousy to separate you. Beware the heart for it can harm as easily as heal. **The Tiger growled low in its throat. Standing, it began to pace back and forth in front of the girl. _

_"That is so cliché. I don't do riddles, you know."_

_**Listen!** The Dragon tossed its head and glowered. **This is no game! This is our world! Eventually, it will affect your world as well. The worlds are interconnected and the death of one will bring about the destruction of the other.**_

_Properly chastised, Aya bowed her head and prepared to listen. For some reason, she was fairly certain that this was no random dream. And if these were the gods of this world, she certainly didn't want to piss them off!_

_The Tortoise/Snake god took up the narrative at this point. **You will need the help of the Forgotten Ones.**_

_"Who's that?" she interrupted._

_**I'm getting there. **The Tortoise/Snake looked at her sternly, reminding Aya of her English teacher when she'd been interrupted. It amused her to think that the gods must have personalities like any other person…animal…thing. **They are the key to defeating the Darkness. You must gather all the seishi of all four gods. Once this has been completed, go to Taitsukun. She will tell you the rest of what you must know.**_

_Aya sighed. "So, that's all I get?"_

_**For now. We will be watching over all of you. Take care, Priestess of Byakko!** The Phoenix flapped its great wings and disappeared in a haze of red light._

_The Tortoise/Snake approached her next. **Do not fear to be bold. The Darkness will only swallow those with weak hearts.** It nodded its great, wrinkled head once before slowly sinking into the earth._

_The Dragon did not approach but studied her. **I am truly sorry,** was the only thing it said before vanishing into thin air._

_Only the Tiger was left now. It made no move to leave at first. It, too, studied her intently. Finally, it spoke, **I believe I have chosen well. I cannot tell you all. I can only warn you of the dangers you may face. Trust in your friends. They will not lead you astray. You have but to call upon me. I will answer. **Then, with no further words, the Tiger faded away._

_Aya stood alone once more in the center of the meadow. She shivered harder this time. When would she be able to go home? A place where the gods were only abstract things to wonder about in your spare time. A place where they would certainly never kidnap you and ask you to save an entire world. Breathing sharply, Aya looked _― _and woke up._

"Aya," Subaru prodded the girl lying beside her. It was already mid-morning, and she was anxious to find Tokaki and the others. "Aya! Wake up!"

The girl woke with a start and sat up abruptly. "Whoa!"

Sitting back, Subaru eyed her priestess. "Bad dream?"

Blinking slowly, Aya shook her head. "No…no, it wasn't. I dreamed that I was visited by the four gods," she stared at Subaru. "And I'm not at all sure that it was just a dream!"

Now Subaru was really worried. "What did they say? Did they seem angry or disturbed? Maybe their mad at us for not finding the other seishi soon enough or ―"

"Would you chill out!" Aya shook her blonde head. "Jeez! They weren't mad. They weren't 'disturbed' or anything like that at all. It was basically just an information meeting."

"What did they say?"

"Oh, you know, they asked how we were doing…if we were comfortable. They said to tell everyone they said hello ―"

"_WHAT DID THEY SAY!"_

Aya laughed. "They told me that to defeat the "gathering Darkness" we would need to find the Forgotten Ones."

Subaru frowned, deep in thought. "I have never even heard of these "Forgotten Ones". They said nothing else?"

Shrugging, "Only that we needed to gather the seishi of all four gods and meet at Taitsukun's place. She's supposed to tell us the rest."

Subaru nodded firmly. "Then that is what we shall do. We must find the others quickly! We need to leave as soon as possible!"

"Whoa, whoa! Leaving so soon? Hospitality not enough for you?" Shen's voice cut through the air, making both girls go stiff. He stood in the doorway to the tent, leaning very casually and grinning like a wolf.

Aya stood, well aware of her dusty and wrinkled state. "Unfortunately, we'll have to cut this visit a little short."

Shen shook his head. "I even got up early to see to you ladies." He winked in Subaru's direction. "Should have gotten up a little earlier. You girls are up and dressed already." Aya flushed and Subaru snickered. "In any case, if you'll follow me, I'll take you to the rest of your party."

Subaru stretched with a grimace and allowed Aya to help her to her feet. "I hope they didn't sleep on the ground, too. Tokaki has the worst arthritis in the mornings…"

Shen actually winced. "Well…he was quite stiff when he first woke up. But he's limber enough now. I hadn't thought of that. Our elders usually don't have such problems."

That figures, Aya thought unkindly. She followed Shen and Subaru reluctantly out of the tent. The sunlight seared her eyes; she shaded her eyes and peered around her, trying to find a familiar face. Only those of the villagers met her gaze. She sighed and contented herself to following Shen around like a lost little puppy. Twitching irritably, she shook that thought from her mind. She'd be damned before that would happen.

Once again, Shen cut a rather circular course throughout the camp. By this time, both Aya and Subaru realized that he was purposefully making their path confusing, so that they wouldn't know exactly where they were. A fairly intelligent strategy ― not to mention successful. "Well, we're here." Shen stopped in front of a tent that bore no difference to Aya's eye than the other. Sighing, she stepped through the flap.

"Aya!" Tokaki flew towards her like a shot. He buried his face in her bosom, "I thought they might have ravished you or ―" **SMACK!** He flew across the room to be caught by an amused Kokie. "Hey…" he rubbed his sore cheek and stared balefully at Aya. "Didn't you miss me?"

She crossed her arms and glared at him. "No." She turned to the other occupants of the room. "Tatara, Kokie, did they treat you ok? Did they feed you? Were you hurt?"

Tatara held up a hand to stem her flood of questions. "Yes, Aya. We were treated as well as could be hoped."

"We're not barbarians, you know," Shen quipped from behind her.

"That remains to be seen," Aya glowered. She turned her attention back to her seishi. "We've got to leave. Now."

Subaru spoke up. She had been busy glaring holes into Tokaki. "Tatara! You've spent time with ―" She broke off with a rapid glance at Shen. "― our Superiors. Have you heard of the Forgotten Ones?"

Tatara looked confused and only shook his head. "No. I have heard nothing. Who are these Forgotten Ones?"

Subaru sighed and shook her head. "We do not know. We were hoping you could give us a hint."

"I am sorry," Tatara apologized. He appeared to be sincerely upset.

"Leaving…now?" Aya reminded the others. She was impatient to be away from here.

"You…prisoners…can't leave?" Shen stepped further into the room.

Aya spun around, hands on hips. She was in a particularly bad mood, and he seemed just the person to take it out on. "And just how exactly are you gonna stop me? I can damn well leave whenever I please!"

Shen grunted and smiled wickedly. "I have several means by which to stop you. But if you'd like to make the attempt, be my guest."

Aya was beyond reasonable thought and simply pushed past him towards the doorway. In an instant, he had grabbed her arm and hauled her back. Eyes snapping fire, Aya emitted a high-pitched sound of frustration. She marched straight back at him, only this time, she made no attempt to push past. She kneed him straight in the balls. It was a move he obviously wasn't expecting because he didn't make even a cursory attempt to block. Crumpling, he also emitted a rather high-pitched sound, this time of pain rather than frustration.

Grinning triumphantly, Aya swept past her defeated opponent. She motioned quickly for the others to follow as she exited the tent. Her seishi stood stock-still for a half second before they followed their priestess. Only Tokaki stopped for a moment in front of the moaning nomad leader to shake his head. "I'm sorry about that. She seems to have some sort of grudge against men and their anatomies…My apologies." He stepped over and around and was gone before Shen could fully register that anyone had spoken.

The troop of seishi plus one priestess strode through the camp like they belonged. And because no alarm had been raised ― they had even been treated as guests ― no one thought to stop them. After a few minutes, Aya thought she recognized a section of the camp. "This way," she whispered quickly, smiling at one nomad who continued to stare at them. Her hunch was correct and soon the corral came into view. "This is the center of the camp," she told the boys. They hadn't needed to come this way on their "tour" of the camp.

"How do you propose we get past the guards?" Kokie pointed towards two men guarding the only gate to the rather large enclosure.

Aya shrugged. She was stumped. There was no way the men would let them have their horses and gear without Shen's permission.

"Who says we have to use the gate?" Tatara asked. Everyone stared. "Well, we don't actually need it do we?"

"Will the horses come over if we called them?" Subaru questioned.

Aya thought for a moment. "Arashi will."

"Uma most likely will, too," Tatara nodded. "And I'm sure the rest will follow him. Even Hentai will follow along. Even if it's only because of the mares."

"So we'll just cut a hole in the fence," Tokaki nodded. "But how will we keep our activities unnoticed? We can repair the fence, but someone will surely hear or see us."

Aya's grin was wicked and contagious. "Not if they have a distraction."


	42. Urumiya's Vision

Whoot! I do believe that I'm getting faster with these updates! Less than a month this time! >D We're switching focus again. It's time for Rika! And we'll probably spend a lot of time on her because she only has one seishi! O-O Anywho…not much else to say for once. Work's keeping me pretty busy along with some family troubles. My grandmother has finally been declared legally blind, so I've been trying to spend as much time with her as I can. Helping her adjust hasn't been easy. You really have no idea how much just being able to read this as I type means to me now. -;; Horrible, I know; but Mimi can't read anymore so it's trips to the library and the grocery store. My aunt is having to do her bills and all that now. So lots to do! Oh! My softball team is headed for nationals! Whoot! We placed 2nd in state (even though we'd beaten that damn team SEVEN times…). So wish us luck! Now for the RR's!

Silver:Heh! Glad to see you're as hyper as ever! Mmm…Seer…sigh…life would be so much better with seer. Yes, yes! The Forgotten/Lost Ones should tickle your fancy. There'll be more on that later when I finally get everybody together. >O It's taking so much longer than I thought it would! Ah, well. Can't always help what your characters insist on doing. mutters Stubborn bitches…

He-Yan: Glad you're liking it!

Schectersona: Sooooo glad I don't have to pronounce that! I just think that every time I see your name cuz I unconsciously try to say it in my head! Heh…you'll have to find out! Unfortunately…it'll take a while to find out since we're back on Rika. Sorry! Suspense does you good!

Queen:Congrats. This is the shortened version of your name. Be glad I didn't decide to call you Monkey >D Here is your update. Enjoy! I'm working as fast as I can, I swear! T-T

Urumiya slowly woke from a deep sleep. He'd finally fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning. The cold kept him from getting comfortable. Especially since a certain little _beast_ had somehow managed to wrest control of the blanket. At the thought of Zuri-chan — as Rika insisted on calling it — he frowned and rolled over.

A startled squeak woke him fully. His eyes shot open and he glared at the offended ball of gray fur pressed close to his side. "What the hell is this horrific fluff ball doing in my bed!" he roared.

Rika sat up with a start and looked over at the two of them. They were up and circling each other like boxers in a ring. One with a look of annoyed rage, the other with a lot of chirping and hopping around. "I see you two are up and about early." She looked at the sun which wasn't even halfway up and groaned. "I suppose you aren't going to let me go to sleep?"

"Why in the world would you let this thing attack me in my sleep? I've probably got fleas or something!"

Rika threw back the covers and swung her feet to the floor. "Aw...I think he likes you..."

"The feeling is most assuredly _not_ mutual."

"What's the matter with you?" She asked as Zuri-chan left his sport with Urumiya and climbed swiftly up onto her left shoulder. "Do you not like animals?"

"I like animals just fine," he replied smoothly as he began gathering their few belongings. "I just don't like vicious imitations of rats."

Zuri-chan cocked his head and chittered a little as if understanding the insult. Rika glared but otherwise made no further comment. "So where to now?"

Urumiya considered this. "Well, the obvious course is to find the rest of the Genbu Seven...as to how we're supposed to go about doing this...that's another matter entirely."

Rika finished packing the little clothing she'd managed to sweet talk out of a shop keeper. "How did you guys do it the first time? You know, with your first priestess?"

They both headed downstairs and outside, though Urumiya did make time for one last nasty glare at the innkeeper. The man was not only up, he was looking disgustingly cheerful and only grew more so as he saw the monkey hitching a ride on Rika's shoulders. He waved enthusiastically, and both Rika and Urumiya could hear his cackling laugh even after they'd left.

Not giving him time to sulk, Rika reminded Urumiya of her question. He shrugged. "The times were different. We were at war with Kutou, and there had always been rumors of things. Mostly, I think, we just traveled to wherever. The luck of the gods went with us," he added with a wink.

Rika looked at him in astonishment. "So you're basically telling me that you just went from place to place and _hoped_ that you'd just _run across_ the people you were looking for?"

Urumiya thought about that. "Yeah. Pretty much." A disgusted sigh was his only answer. "In any case, we need supplies. Horses, food, and warmer clothing. We can't travel like this. We'd freeze."

"Okay," Rika glanced at him. "Do you have any of that money left from your little escapades last night?" He nodded. "So let's go get some supplies."

This proved easier said than done. Rika didn't really know what kind of supplies would be needed for this climate. It was very cold. The wind in Hokkan blew almost constantly, chilling the population to the bone. There was more often than not snow on the ground, though in the valleys it was a bit warmer. Rika sighed. She loved cold weather, but this was a bit much. Especially considering how ill-prepared she was to face it.

"Are you sure that's all we'll need?" She asked Urumiya skeptically as they prepared to leave town. It was impossible as well as quite stupid for them to walk, so he had somehow swindled enough money to buy a horse. Just one. She tried to glare at him from the front of the horse. "You'd better not try anything funny..." she threatened.

"My dear, Rika," he clucked to the horse and it broke into a smooth canter. "My hands, as my intentions, shall be the best you've ever had."

"Urumiya!"

"Yes?" he asked innocently.

Rika rolled her eyes and gave it up as lost. "How long will it take to get to the next village?"

"Only a day, I believe. I haven't been this way in quite some time."

"You've been this way before?"

"Many times."

Something in his voice made her pause. But Rika was more concerned with keeping warm. The sheepskin coat she'd gotten was helping, but it was a bone-chilling cold. She couldn't stop from shivering. Urumiya noticed and tightened his arms around her. Rika noticed and elbowed him in the stomach. Hard.

"Yes, ma'am," he wheezed.

Satisfied, Rika checked on Zuri-chan. He was quite cozy next to her chest. He was, in fact, fast asleep. With a soft chirrup, he snuggled in closer to her. Rika was actually glad of the little monkey's presence. His body heat was helping to keep her warm.

But things other than her new pet weighed down on her mind. She had yet to find the psycho that had kidnapped Aya. Assuming of course that Aya hadn't killed him already. Even finding these seishi were taking a back seat to that little problem. According to Urumiya's best calculations, she'd been somewhere in Konan, or perhaps Kutou, when she and Aya had become separated. Plus, the man had somehow…disappeared. So that meant he could be anywhere. Anywhere at all. She sighed. It was all quite depressing really.

"Longing for my touch?" Urumiya's voice was full of amusement and jarred her out of her reverie.

"Absolutely not."

"Not even a little?"

Rika half-turned in the saddle, "The only thing I could possibly want less than your 'touch' would be death by fire ants."

"What are they?"

"I read about them online before I left for America. They're tiny little insects. When they bite you, it feels like you're skin is on fire. They swarm you and eat you bit by bit. Until you're dead."

"Doesn't sound pleasant…"

"That would be my point." She deftly changed the subject. "What town are we nearing?"

Urumiya checked the sun. "We've been traveling for about two hours or so…We're probably coming up on . It's a fairly small village."

"Do they have an inn?" Rika asked hopefully.

"Well, they don't have an inn, and we don't have any money; so…" He shrugged. "Not too good of a chance that we'll end up sleeping inside tonight."

Rika tried not to let this further depress her. After all, by tomorrow they'd be in a new village. Hopefully, they'd have money and a place to stay. "Oh. So where will we sleep?"

"Well, to conserve body heat we'll have to snuggle together under the stars —" The look Rika shot him, caused him to rethink what he was saying. "Ahem. What I meant was that I managed to procure a tent."

"How'd you do that? I thought we spent all our money on this stupid horse?"

"My ways are mysterious and unknowable…"

Rika snorted. "Translation: you stole it?"

He pulled himself up. "Priestess! I would never!"

"But you cheated so that you won at gambling. That's the same thing."

"No, it's not!" He shook his head. "That, my dear, is a skill. If the other players are novice enough to miss your work, then they deserve to lose."

"Excuse."

"In any case," he shot her an affronted look. "We have a tent that we can sleep under. It'll still be deathly cold which is why I brought plenty of blankets."

She sighed. "I'm going to stop wondering how you got the money for these things."

"Wise choice. I believe —" His voice suddenly cut off.

Rika turned in the saddle to look back at him only to find that his face was expressionless. But that wasn't what worried her. His golden eyes were now completely white. "U..Urumiya? Urumiya!" she called worriedly. Zuri-chan left the safety of Rika's coat to sit on her head and chitter at Urumiya's unmoving figure. Even the horse sensed something amiss and began tossing its head nervously.

After what felt like forever, the Genbu seishi finally blinked. His eyes resumed their normal color and fell on Rika's worried face. "Sorry," he smiled. "I forgot to warn you. I was having a vision." His face lost its smile. " And it was rather important."

"What did you see? What was it!" Rika asked impatiently as Zuri-chan snuggled back in.

"I saw one of the Genbu Seven. I think they're going to be in trouble."

"Who was it?" Rika frowned. "Where were they? What kind of trouble? How are we going to save them!"

"Slow down!" Urumiya laughed. "I'll let you find out who it is yourself. It's more fun that way," he winked. "They were in a village, and I'm fairly sure it's the one we're coming up on. I'm not sure what kind of trouble, and we're going to ride in like true heroes." He took a deep breath. "Any other questions?"

"Why are you such an asshole?"

"I resent that question. Now, let's hurry, shall we? Hiyah!" he kicked the horse into a gallop.

Rika squealed as she had never ridden a horse before. Suddenly, she was very glad of Urumiya's arms around her waist.


	43. Rika's Second Seishi

Hello again! Aren't you guys just SOOO proud of me for getting this up so fast? Or…at least fast for me? This one's rather long, too. Good news! We went to Nationals and kicked everyone's ass! It was…beyond awesome. I'm once again in college. It's really great this year. I'm not working (which means more time to work on my writing. Yay!) and my roommate and I get along GREAT. We're always hanging out together, so we're friends and not just roomies. But that's all for now. Here's the Reader Responses:

He-Yan: Um…probably about…2 feet? I'm notoriously fast you know.

Everlasting: God…everyone is changing their name… Maybe I should, too? Just to annoy you guys! Lol You're always reading my story when you're supposed to be quiet! Haven't you learned by now, child? shakes head I am the master of the subtle comedy. And as you can see, we got our revenge on that stupid team. They got fifth or something, I think. We beat out this really preppy team for the championship. I hated them SO bad. I hit one girl on purpose cuz she was a biotch. Whoops.

BMG: Yes. Rika is very funny. Both on paper and in real life. We loves you Rika!

Schec: Sorry…your name is too long. Lol Here's your update, dear, as promised!

Queen: Hah! Yeah. Monkeys are pretty cool. And Mimi says thanks! She's getting better at dealing with it (as you obviously have. Good for you!) She's really depressed now that I'm in college. And they haven't gotten her a big phone that she can see yet. So she spent all of last week trying to call me and didn't get me til today cuz she kept dialing the wrong number. She started crying and I started crying…it was a mess. She made me feel really good, cuz she says she's never missed a grandchild like she's missed me. (And since she has like 20…I feel special!) But we're doing good, I guess. Here's your update, dear. This one doesn't have as much mention of Zuri-chan, but he's in there somewhere!

Shondrial: Ah! My favorite person! huggles Ugh…don't start with me…I didn't PLAN on writing an epic…it just…worked out that way. Ah, well! At THIS rate, I'll be forty before I finish with #2!

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Rika was unprepared for how fast horses can travel with the right motivation. And having Urumiya screaming like a banshee over your head while kicking you in the sides was probably the biggest motivation of them all. By the time they actually reached the small village, the horse's sides were heaving. Flecks of white foam and formed around the simple bit. Wasting no time, Urumiya slid from the horse and reached up to bring Rika down as well. The poor horse just stood there, head drooping. Rika noticed that his body was dark with the sweat of his efforts. She turned to Urumiya who wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to the poor beast. "Should we take care of him…?"

The seishi spared a quick glance at the animal before resuming scanning the village. "He'll be fine after he is rested and fed." He quickly found what he was looking for and strode towards a small building off to one side, leading the horse behind him. Apparently, even nomadic villages had stables. And there was no doubt that these people were nomadic. Shepherds, probably. Rika saw several young boys tending a herd of sheep. Farther off in the distance, she saw similar forms, which made her think that there were probably several herds for this tribe. All of the buildings were actually tents, but looked comfortable enough from the warm glow coming from the doorways.

She suddenly realized that she was getting cold. Even all the clothes in the world couldn't cut out that icy wind. She quickly followed Urumiya's path to the stable. She pushed open the heavy door flap, visibly relieved at the warmth she found inside. She saw Urumiya talking with a man that had to be the stable master.

The man shook his head. "I really haven't seen anyone like you're describing. Maybe you've got the wrong tribe?"

Urumiya frowned. "No, I'm sure it was this tribe. Thank you for your time." He turned, still frowning. Not seeing Rika, he almost ran into her before his head snapped up. "Ah!" he flashed her a charming smile. "My apologies, Priestess! I don't know how I could have missed your lovely form," he winked.

Rika snorted since her bulky clothes covered any figure she might or might not possess. "What did that man say?"

Urumiya shielded his eyes against the wind as they both ventured out into the fast approaching night. "He didn't know the one I described," he reported mournfully. "He did, however, say that the families often hosted visitors in their homes." He smiled weakly at her, "At least you'll have somewhere warm to stay."

Rika nodded, petting Zuri-chan's head. The little monkey obviously didn't like the cold and didn't intend to come out until he was in a warmer place. She wondered at the hurt look on his face. Was this seishi someone close to Urumiya? He didn't flirt as usual or even really talk. He just led the way to the home-like tent they were staying at.

The woman of the house more than made up for Urumiya's disappointed silence. She chattered and fair bubbled goodwill. Rika smiled and answered what few questions were asked, but mostly she just listened. In the space of an hour, she had learned about the life of every one of the woman's relatives. And there were quite a few. Finally, her husband – unsurprisingly silent – spoke up. "They're probably tired, dearheart. Why don't you show them where they can sleep?"

The woman nodded and bubbled again, "Oh, of course! Can't believe I didn't think of this before! I'm sure you're completely exhausted!" She continued on in this vein the entire time she showed them their sleeping compartments. The mattress laid out before the fire were thick and looked comfortable enough to make Rika's sore muscle cry. There was only one problem. There was only a single mattress.

The sight of this managed to perk Urumiya up. He glanced at her and winked rather saucily. "Thank you, my good madam!" he exclaimed, ushering the woman through the curtain that thoughtfully blocked the rest of the room off from their sleeping quarters. "We will definitely be _most_ comfortable here!" She managed a quick goodnight before Urumiya hastily pulled the curtains shut behind her. Turning back to Rika, he flashed his most rakish grin. "So…I'm not sleepy, are you –"

His words were cut off as Rika threw her sleeping roll at his face. He caught it and peeked around it in a way that made Rika flush from the roots of her hair to the soles of her feet. "Stop being so…so…"

"Sexy?" When had his voice gotten so deep?

"No. Annoying!" Rika retorted. "Now just go to sleep. Here. We'll split the blankets." She began forcefully dividing the linens. After a few moments, Urumiya chuckled and came to help her. The fire was warm, and – though she would never admit it – having Urumiya sleeping between her and the door made her feel safe. Evidently, Zuri-chan was not very sleepy. He crouched by her head, going through her hair with his tiny fingers. She didn't mind, and the motion soon soothed her into a deep sleep. But not before she wondered about her future. And that of her still missing seishi.

A loud shout woke Rika from her sleep. She looked around, confused, until she remembered where she was. The sound that had woken had been swiftly silenced. Curious and anxious to help it she was needed, Rika cautiously rose. Zuri-chan was once again nestled against Urumiya's side. The seishi was deeply asleep. Not wishing to disturb him, she quick-stepped over his sleeping form. Zuri-chan chirruped sleepily but did not wake.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Rika made her way outside of the curtained alcove. Immediately she became aware of several torches outside. Their hosts were also outside. Creeping to the sturdy animal skin that covered the door and blocked the wind, Rika listened in on what was being said.

"Please!" This was the man's voice. "He has done nothing!"

"Liar!" A woman's voice – not their host's – spoke up. "He hurt my little boy! He needed stitches!"

This time the talkative woman spoke. "Your son was one of the ones tormenting him! What did you expect him to do! He was provoked! It was self-defense!"

Yet another male voice rose from what must be a considerable crowd. "His powers are dangerous, Setsuka! Even you must admit that!"

"He doesn't do it on purpose..." the woman's voice sounded less sure. And it was a trifle weary. "He's just afraid."

The same man – he must be the ringleader – spoke up. "This is the last straw! I, for one, won't allow my children to live with something this dangerous! It's just like a rabid dog." His voice was grim and – Rika realized – getting closer. She was thrown violently back as the man burst into the house, followed by the mob.

"No!" the woman's voice rose out of the angry muttering. "He's just a boy!"

But the crowd was mindless and beyond listening. They swarmed into the house and headed towards a room in the back. Leaping to her feet, Rika shouted, "Urumiya!" Deftly threading her way through the crowd, she managed to get close enough to the front to see several of the villagers pounding on what appeared to be a woven basket. But the basket didn't fold as Rika expected it to. The villagers' weapons rang dully off its surface. _That's iron!_ Rika's mouth opened in shock as a frightened voice came from inside it.

"G-g-go away!"

"Demon!" Someone in the crowd yelled. The cry was quickly picked up by the rest of the mob. "Demon! Kill it! Get it out of the village!"

Rika forced her way to the front of the out-of-control people. She pushed the men hammering on the basket aside. "Enough!" she yelled, eyes blazing. "What the hell do you people think you're doing! There's a little boy in there!"

"Not so little," one man spat. "And it's not a boy. It's a demon spawn disguised as a boy. That thing ain't natural."

Rika rolled her eyes, not bothering to hide her scorn. "Oh? Really? What has this 'demon' done that is so despicable?"

"He has strange powers!" Someone called.

"And he hurt my baby!" that woman shrieked again. "He shot my baby with his needles!"

"Needles?" Rika's brow rose elegantly. "Where is your boy?"

"Here!" the woman triumphantly thrust a boy of about twelve up to the front.

"Where are you hurt?" Rika asked sternly.

The boy quivered, but obediently pulled up a sleeve to show a long scratch on his upper arm.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Rika shouted indignantly. "That's a scratch! And not a very bad one, at that!"

The woman harrumphed and cuddled her child to her. But another man spoke up. "It's not the hurt. It's the fact that he could have done worse."

"But didn't!" The boy's father spoke up. "Even while being tormented, he didn't do no worse than scratch."

Rika ignored the villagers for a moment and turned to the basket. "Hello? Are you okay in there?"

For a long moment, nothing was heard. Then a small, shaky voice responded, "I'm fine in my basket. It'll protect me from everything."

"Can you come out?" Rika cajoled. "To prove to these people that you aren't a monster or a demon?"

The voice trembled, "They'll hurt me again…"

Rika turned to glare at the villagers then, "I won't let them hurt you," she promised the boy quietly. "I won't let them touch you. I promise."

For another few moments, there was nothing. Then the basket slowly opened to reveal a young boy of about fourteen or fifteen. He was as round as his iron basket from the tip of his rounded ears all the way to his big round eyes. And it was those eyes that tugged at Rika's heart. They were so full of fear and pain. The boy stood no taller than her shoulder, which was quite short. His dumpling form was probably a large factor in his tormentors' taunts. His brown hair was pulled up into two balls on the top of his head, and his brown eyes looked into hers trustingly.

But behind them, the crowd became fired up at the sight of the boy. They began screaming again. "Demon! Monster! Drive him out of the village!"

The boy cowered behind Rika who stood the entire village off with her glare. "You people should be ashamed of yourselves! Picking on this poor child! He is no different from you or me!"

The ringleader turned to the mob. "You heard her! She claims to be no different than the boy! By my thinking, that makes them _both_ demons!" The crowd yelled its approval. Rika's eyes grew wide, and the boy began to whimper. Just as she was about to try to sprint through the insane crowd, a lazy voice spoke up above the shouting.

"I wouldn't do that," Urumiya smiled dangerously. "The boy is one thing, but the girl is under _my_ protection." Rika rolled her eyes. Did he have to be so dramatic? Still…she was rather glad to hear him right now.

An angry muttering swept through the crowd. "And who are you to be so demanding?" Someone called out.

His eyes flashed. "Well, I'm a womanizer and a gambler. But I'm also a fairly decent man. The name's Urumiya, friend. Remember it." The character "danger" suddenly glowed a stunning green upon his forehead.

_His seishi symbol,_ Rika thought in amazement. But she didn't have to wonder for long. The boy had taken advantage of the mob's momentary distraction to hide inside his iron basket again. Only this time, he took Rika with him. She let out a little squeak of shock as the basket began rolling. The boy's hand tightly gripped her own, but his little face shone with determination as he sent the basket careening through the crowd of bodies. Most people seemed to notice the spinning basket and get out of the way. But a few times, Rika heard and felt the heavy thumps as people were too slow. She refused to feel sorry for them. Maybe they'd learn their lesson if they came away from it with a good-sized bruise or two!

After several minutes of rolling – enough to make her regret her dinner of warm stew – the basket came to a halt. The boy opened it and helped her out before making it disappear completely. Looking around, she saw that they weren't all that far from the house. They were just outside the village. And there came Urumiya. He seemed to have had the forethought to run to the stable and grab their horse and supplies. Rika breathed a sigh of relief over that one. She really wasn't sure what they would have done without those essential items.

Reining in the horse, Urumiya glanced down at the boy, grinning. "Well! You're in trouble as always, I see!"

Rika began to sputter a protest, but it was the boy who answered. "I-it wasn't my fault. My parents didn't understand my powers, so t-they went to the village elder. He said I w-was a demon. And slowly p-people were beginning to b-believe him."

She stared dumbly from one to the other before her brain kicked in. This kid was a seishi! Her mouth worked, but no sound came out. She had found – and rescued! – another seishi!

Urumiya obviously saw her discomfort and was enjoying it to the utmost. "Rika, Priestess of Genbu, may I present Hatsui, one of the Genbu Seishi."

Hatsui looked at her and smiled nervously. He seemed to always be nervous. "Hello, Priestess."

"You can call me Rika."

"Yes, Priestess."

Rika smiled. Then she gasped. "Zuri-chan! Oh, my god! I forgot him in the rush! He's probably being manhandled or eaten or –"

Hearing his name, the little monkey scrambled from his place inside Urumiya's cloak. "He just clawed his way in," the blonde seishi grumbled. He held out a hand. Rika went in front of him on the horse while Hatsui brought up the rear. "We're really gonna have to get some more horses," he complained.

"You didn't mind sharing with me," Rika noted dryly.

"You're my priestess! I have to provide for you!" The laughter in his voice was obvious.

"W-where are we going to find the next seishi?" Hatsui asked suddenly.

Rika sighed dramatically. "I don't care. Just _please_ don't let this seishi be as prone to trouble as you two!"


End file.
